Symbiosis
by ConstructiveWriter
Summary: In a different life Ash Ketchum looks upon his world from an unique perspective.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own pokémon.

Touched this chapter up as of 11:10pm 7/17/2012

Touched up again as of 12/15/2013

More touch ups as of 5/15/2015

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><p>Flames licked the sky, dancing upon the ruins of the house. Night had fallen and the stars shone serenely; an effect marred by the false aurora of the orange tongues of fire that sprang from the home that blazed in the forest.<p>

The structure itself was obviously smashed and broken. The flames were just an afterthought, a byproduct of whatever had shattered the building. Perhaps a gas line erupted, or the explosion from a Hyper Beam had ignited something. Maybe it was a fire attack that destroyed the house. It was inconsequential. All that mattered was that the house burned.

A sheep ran from the house; crackling with unreleased lightning, feeling unwarranted shame, he ran because its trainer had ordered him too. He ran with a crying toddler hanging from its mouth. Mareep ran from the Ketchum house with his trainer's son dangling from his mouth.

And little Ash screamed, uncomprehending of the situation. He wanted his mamma and daddy and to sleep on Mareep's soft fur again. He did not want to be bounced around during the night in a strange place, as howling echoed behind him.

Houndooms yelped behind the fugitive as they charged through the flames. Their spiked tails waved in the orange light as they pursued the electric sheep and the son of Delia Ketchum. Mareep panicked as they drew closer, frantically beating through the load in its mouth. Trees flashed past, gnarled and terrifying in the night. Their green boughs blocked the stars, but they could not stop the orange highlights of a burning home from creeping higher upon the scenery.

Nightmarish shapes growing from the earth and illuminated by the strange light assaulted the golden brown eyes of little Ash, as his father's pokémon carried him from the ruins of his happy life. Tall grass whipped his face despite the best efforts of the pokémon carrying him. Far behind them a hydreigon roared from within the flames.

Mareeps were not known for their speed. They weren't notoriously slow, but they had never been the ones to set records. Had there been any other option, he would have stayed behind to fend off the attacking pokémon and their human masters and let another Ketchum pokémon take the child to safety. But it was the only pokémon available at the time. He bitterly regretted that fact as the baying hounds grew closer. He would not be able to bear the child to safety. He had failed all of its friends.

Mareep burst through a bush, tucking its head so that little Ash would not have to deal with the thorns. As soon as they were through the bushes to either side rustled and then the Houndooms were through. They attempted to use Fire Fang and Bite, but the Mareep was too far ahead.

Mareep would not fail his trainer.

It would not fail the small friend dangling in his mouth.

The electric sheep could feel his heart pounding furiously as it pounded through the forest and tall grass around Pallet Town. Mareep longed to turn around and attack the fiery pokémon chasing it, to deliver upon them the same kind of pain and injury that they had helped their human leader inflict upon Ash's parents and Mareep's pokémon comrades. But Mareep knew that the toddler it carried would never survive the battle and little Ash was all that mattered now.

So it ran on. Deeper they dived into the wilderness, the orange highlights of a dying life fading with each step the electric pokemon took. The houndooms were closer now, they shouted out to the Mareep, telling it to stop or surrender or give up. One asked the Mareep to give up the child and they would leave the pokemon alone.

Mareep only ran faster.

By now they were far enough from the house that the forest was pitch black save for the half moon and stars. Mareep dodged its way through the trees, making its pursers to fall in line behind it. A fork in the natural paths of the forest was up ahead. Mareep headed for the left fork that would lead to Professor Oak and safety.

He was almost at the fork when a growlith erupted from the undergrowth to the Mareep's left. The fire pokémon's fangs grazed the clothes that little Ash wore as the snapping jaws closed and Mareep's furiously beating heart picked up its pace.

The loyal pokemon was forced to take the right fork and the purser's baying took on a triumphant tone. They had forced the fugitives away from civilization and therefore safety. Or so they believed.

But Mareep knew better. Mareep knew something that only local pokémon knew. The right path held potential safety just as well.

A houndoom nipped at the electric type's heels and Mareep spared as much energy as it could safely manage while carrying the sobbing toddler in his mouth to unleash a thunderbolt at the dark/fire dog. The forest momentarily turned yellow and the pursing pokemon yelped in pain as the electric attack coursed through it. It fell behind, paralyzed, and was trampled by its fellows.

More special attacks followed, momentarily slowing down the pursing dog pokemon but costing Mareep energy. One more burst of lightning flared out from its tail into the pursers, causing yelps to echo in the forest. And yet their numbers were practically undiminished. In that moment Mareep knew that it would not survive the night.

Instead of despair, a dark and fiery hope filled the pokemon, ironically resembling the typing of his pursers. If he would not live the night, then at least the son of his best friend would. And hopefully no other witness to the night's tragedy would. With nothing left to lose the electric sheep picked up his pace and raced towards a destination deep within the wild forest.

The houndooms and growliths picked up the new pace and the forest turned into a nightmarish tunnel of strange green shapes and misshapen growths. Ash wailed in absolute despair as his young senses were overloaded. His father's pokémon knew that he would be traumatized from this, but by the Primal Spark he would live to be traumatized by this.

Once more thunder crackled in the forest and the fire pokemon were delayed as yellow fury coursed throughout their bodies. Several stopped and fell to the ground unable to move as the attack as paralyzed them. Others shook off the attack and pursued with more vigor, treating their fallen comrades as mere scenery in the way of their objective.

Mareep bleated in fury and despair as it leapt over a root. Where were the signs that would tell him that he was nearing his destination? Where were the signs that told him it was safe to put down the burden and join his dead master in a blaze of glory, the future taken care of? Where was the silk that- and there was piece hanging off a tree illuminated by an inaccurate fire attack launched by an inexperienced purser. It looked like any other piece of caterpie silk or weedle silk that dotted the forest, except for its shape.

_Poison Lance! _Mareep cried out the name _Poison Lance! Please! Posion Lance! _Mareep bleated tearfully into the night, the words getting muffled by its precious burden. There was no answer but for a Flamethrower attack that scorched his tail.

One more time electricity illuminated the forest and drove back the pokemon serving evil masters. Mareep ran with the last of his everything, feeling his own heart starting to give out, praying to whatever legendary was listening that the one it sought was there tonight.

Mareep stumbled over a root and was hit by a tackle from behind. The attack sent it flying into a tree trunk, the electric pokemon turning his body to protect the last charge that the pokemon had been entrusted by. Soft wool was of no help cushioning the impact and the shock caused him to let go of little Ash. Pokemon and human fell together at the trees roots. The little human immediately grabbed onto his friend and sobbed into the soft wool.

"Marp" he sobbed, burying his face into the sheep's soft wool.

The houndooms and the growliths drew closer, the chase at an end. They snapped and snarled, and growled and howled. Mareep bleated and wept as it nuzzled little Ash.

_Give him,_ snarled the lead houndoom. _Give him and we'll let you go. Our master only ordered his capture._

_You'll have to kill me either way, _bleated Mareep. _If you take him without killing me, I'll pursue him as long as I live. _The electric pokémon stood up and moved between his charge and the other pokémon. _I'll kill you all or die trying before I let your master have my best friend's son._

There was no verbal answer to Mareep's defiance. Instead over a dozen fire attacks raced towards the electric pokemon as he unleashed lightning upon the attackers. Orange and yellow light blazed in between the trees and there was a malestorm of conflicting energies. Trees burst and cinders were blown about like fireflies from hell. Lightning blazed as if it was the heart of the storm and hounds bayed.

In the end superior numbers won out over even love and desperation. Mareep was struck with a Blast Burn and collapsed in front of his young charge, his fur in flames. All around the two the forest burned and a cruel orange light shone upon the pair.

_A good death, _spoke the lead houndoom.

Mareep did not respond. Instead it desperately nuzzled the sobbing Ash as the life left its body. Mareep wanted his last moments to be about friendship, as his best moments had been with the boy's father had been. To give Ash one last gift, anything to help make up for the fact that he had failed him.

_What is going on here! _A pokemon cried out from the dark of the forest. Mareep recognized the voice and in that moment knew that he had not failed.

_They and their master killed my trainer and his wife. They want Ash. Please Poison Lance! Save him. Please, I beg you!_ The dying sheep bleated. Little Ash continued to wail as he buried his face in the wool of his friend.

_Stay out of this wildling, _the lead houndoom spoke. _It does not concern you._

_The doings of all pokemon in this area concern me, _spoke the voice from the darkness, _and the Ketchums were friends to all the wild pokemon in the area._

From the darkness emerged a single small pokémon. It resembled some sort of insect larva; it was yellow brown and segmented with two tine pink feet per segment. It had a horn upon the head segment where there were sat two black eyes and a pink nose and a stinger upon its last segment. It was a weedle, that stood and glared down at them.

_Leave now and tell your master that you lost the boy and I will not hurt you, _spoke the weedle.

The houndoom and growlith equivalent of laughter echoed throughout the area. They did not bother responding to the bug, instead they leapt towards the boy and the dying pokemon. Ash looked up at that moment and wailed once more.

Out of the night thousands of spikes erupted, glowing a sickly color in the light of the fires. Every leaping pokemon was caught by the unexpected barrage and hurled backward, every last one howling in pain. The barrage kept up, tearing the forest apart, shattering trees, and ripping leaves to shreds. Some of the houndooms and growliths were turned into a mass of needles, others were good enough to partially block the attack with their fire and their dark attacks. They fared no better than their mortally wounded comrades.

Only one was able to counter a majority of the spikes that targeted him, the lead houndoom burning as many of them in midair as he could manage. His comrades yipped and died about him as he landed. The houndoom glared at the weedle that had launched the attack. Fury filled him like his fire and he reared back his head to blast the offending bug. He collected his power, fire roaring in his lungs and his mouth. The hellish light that illuminated the weedle grew in intensity as the houndoom prepared to turn the bug pokemon to ash.

Then the houndoom collapsed, an unexpected weakness overcoming it. His vision blurred and suddenly there were multiple of everything, as if reality itself had used Double Team.

_What, _he spoke with his failing breath, _was that?_

_Just a Pin Missle attack, _replied the weedle. _ Do not feel ashamed of your loss. I was travelling with a trainer long before your parents were eggs. Instead feel ashamed of your master and your actions. Take that regret to hell as penance for the lives of the Ketchums and Mareep._

With that a glob of silk flew down the Houndoom's throat and closed off its windpipe. The dark fire pokemon tried to yelp but the gag choked off all air and no sound could be made. More silk followed and the houndoom was completely mummified as it suffocated.

The weedle turned to look upon the other pokémon that had pursed Mareep and Ash. Most lay dead, but a small number were attempting to flee, dragging various useless limbs and downed comrades with them.

_It is futile, _spoke the weedle. It reared back its head and from the horn that crowned it a collection of multicoloured light bloomed. It grew in intensity and size, bathing the weedle in shifting colors.

The weedle unleashed a gigantic Signal Beam. A multicoloured glow illuminated Ash and Mareep as the forest, the enemies, and the land itself were _leveled _before them. Trees and pokemon turned to black ash that scattered upon the wind of the attack and the ground was smoothed and blackened. In a small part of the forest the night turned to a rainbow day as a local bug type pokemon defended the Mareep and the small terrified human, who had quit wailing long enough to stare up in awe.

Those that witnessed the light from afar were befuddled for the rest of the night as the secondary effects of the attack caught them. Almost no one who witnessed the attack could identify it in their confused state.

There was a pop in the air that turned into a boom and another part of the forest exploded as the attack died. The shockwave rattled the local area and gently shook the nearby Pallet Town. Professor Oak had finally fallen asleep in his lab and such was his weariness that even this could not awaken him.

Only one man in the area could identify the attack. Only one man, who was sifting through the ruins of the Ketchum home, with his hydreigon hovering nearby, could identify the attack.

"Signal Beam?" he spoke incredulously "there aren't any strong trainers with bug-type pokémon in the area and the only wild pokémon that could use a Signal Beam of that magnitude…" his face changed at the thought "Another ditto-born Genesect?"

He grabbed a radio from his belt. "All units retreat. We have an unexpected ditto-born in the vicinity. Drop whatever you are doing and withdraw from all combat and open operations now. Do not engage anyone. I repeat, no engagements period."

Confirmations sounded over the device and he returned it to his belt. He looked down upon the ruins as he recalled his pokemon.

"I guess no one won here today" he spoke and then he turned around and strode away from the home he had destroyed and the lives he had ended.

In a different part of the forest a crying boy cradled a dying pokemon's head in his lap. Mareep bleated bittersweetly. He had saved his best friend's son. He could die now and join him in whatever waited beyond without guilt or shame following him. Mareep nuzzled Ash and licked his face. The sheep then turned to the weedle.

_Please help him, _the trained pokemon begged. _He'll have no one soon and no young one should have to endure that_.

_Quiet now, _responded the wild pokemon. _He'll be looked after. Concentrate on saying your goodbyes for now and then go join your friends. You've earned whatever rest awaits._

Mareep bleated in gratitude and turned for a final time to Ash. He buried his face in the humans softblack hair and shed its final tears. Ash hugged the electric pokemon fiercely and wailed even louder than before.

"Marp" Ash wailed. "Marp healthy. Okay Marp" he pleaded. The electric sheep nuzzled him and collapsed before him.

The light left Mareep's eyes and the pokemon shuddered and fell still. Ash wept. And Poison Lance sighed as he looked over his new problem.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon

Edited as of 12:33pm 7/31/2012

Touched up as of 5/15/2015

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><p><em>By the first, <em>thought the weedle named Poison Lance, _do new humans ever quiet down?_

Using all the flexibility granted to him by his segmented body and the strength granted to him by his long and eventful life, Poison Lance had carried the small human through the forest by his hind segments, his rear stinger carefully folded out of the way, and walking on his mid and fore segments.

He had waited several minutes after Mareep had passed on before removing the crying toddler from the scene. Ash had called out for his "Marp" several times as Poison lance bore him from the scene of all that carnage.

He would have liked to give the tiny human time to grieve, but he knew that if none of the pursing pokémon reported in soon, then their masters were likely to launch an investigation. Despite his surprising power Poison Lance knew that he could not handle such odds. Most likely they would bring highly trained, top tier pokémon and pseudo legendaries to ravage the forest in their search. They would have the advantage in numbers, in type, and in power. There was not a weedle alive who could withstand that sort of firepower. Indeed, Poison Lance doubted that there was a pokémon alive, short of a legendary that could stand against such an ordeal. It was a moot point, as the two attacks had left him absolutely exhausted.

Besides, even if Poison Lance thought that he could take them, there was still the risk that they could steal Ash while he was distracted.

And that was unacceptable.

The Ketchums had been friends of the local wild pokémon, their pokémon had been part of the local community; the two humans had cared for several eggs, they had fed wild pokémon that had hung out near their house, they had been courteous polite and kind to any wild pokémon they had encountered, and Mr. Ketchum had asked any wild pokémon that engaged him in battle if it wished to be captured in the eventuality that it lost and the trainer always had obeyed the pokémon 's wishes. Poison Lance would not let all the kindness they had shown the local pokémon go unappreciated; he would not let their son be stolen away by their murderers.

Despite his extreme strength, both in special attacks and in his body, the weedle still moved slowly. Night had begun to die and the sun's rebirth had started before he had made it more than a mile from Mareep. Ash had cried himself to sleep in the meantime and the weedle carrying him had surged on as stealthily as it could manage. The Signal Beam and the subsequent explosion should have ruined any chance of pokémon pursing via scent and Poison Lance knew the area too well to leave a trail. But still the bug pokémon worried.

Sirens wailed in the distance as human authorities raced towards the Ketchum home. If the weedle had spent less time with his human trainer he would have considered turning the boy over to the human authorities. But he knew enough to be sure that the boy would never be safe if he was identified as Ash Ketchum, son of Mr. Ketchum and Delia Ketchum. In the day, his trainer had gone up against Team Rocket and the weedle had learned enough about evil humans to know their ways. If he returned Ash to the human community, whoever had been after him would infiltrate the systems designed to care for and protect the orphaned human and then snatch him up in the middle of the night.

No, he knew that unless he discovered some close friends of the Ketchums and was able to explain the situation to them, Ash would not be able to rejoin humanity until he was of age.

Thus only one path was left to Poison Lance, one of the most difficult paths he could imagine. Ash would have to be cared for by the local pokémon. Poison Lance would have to sacrifice the boy's upbringing, his ability to easily interact with the rest of his species, and even his skill at speaking to preserve the boy's life. And the local pokémon would have to make enormous sacrifices to ensure that Ash got the best education that they could safely afford him. It would cost the local community greatly, it would cost Poison Lance greatly, and it would even cost his traveling pokémon friends that occasionally passed through the area greatly.

Would it be worth it? To sacrifice so much for one human child? Even if the child was the son of two exceptionally kind humans?

The truth was weedle was loathe to let the boy suffer, even if his parents had not interacted with the local wild pokémon whatsoever. The sheer _affection_ the little boy showed any pokémon that he met was heart melting, be it wild or a trainer's pokémon. Whenever he had met a new pokémon the little human would hug it as if the pokémon had been a long lost member of his family, excitedly shouting its name. No matter what his parents would have said it was easy to see that the boy would have chosen a path in life that heavily involved pokémon.

So yes, Poison Lance would see to it that the boy was raised as best the local pokémon could manage. He doubted that there was a single pokémon that stayed in the area regularly that would begrudge Ash a tiny sacrifice. The weedle would have to be sure to ask no more than a small sacrifice from most pokémon, only allowing volunteers to provide larger amounts of effort and time to the little human.

It would be a long and hard journey, but as weedle had learned from Luke, those types of journeys were often the only type of journey worth taking.

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><p>It was sometime between early and mid-morning when Poison Lance arrived at his dwelling with his new charge.<p>

Shining in the golden sun, massive swathes of silk hung from the lower branches of the trees that ringed the clearing. Dew sparkled for a little longer in the light of the rising sun as Poison Lance passed the outer perimeter of his home and the meeting place of the local wild pokémon.

Behind the shining sheets lay a collection of three silken domes, carved out the the silk of the weedle's own String Shot. One was a simple hall to meet with as many of the wild pokémon as he could. Another was a place for the sick and injured to heal, a sanctuary for eggs and newly hatched pokémon to be safe in (it was currently empty). The final dome was a small rain proof place that the Weedle could slumber within. It was the smallest of structures in the clearing, but it was also the most decorated; for within, stitched upon the silken walls were scenes from Poison Lance's life with his trainer, his best friend. Emblazoned upon the wall were the victories and defeats that had shaped the weedle into the pokémon he was today

He set little Ash down in the tall grass under the dome and then with swift and deft movements he shaped a small basket for the tiny human to sleep in. The weedle then picked up the sleeping toddler and placed him within the new piece of furniture. Staring down upon the little face the bug pokémon noticed the streaks of tears and the quiet whimpering of the human. Poison Lance sighed, for Ash could not even comprehend all that he had to grieve for.

His parents struck down and all chance of a normal life had been stolen from him. It was likely that he would never gain many of the skills he needed to fit in with the human world, and even the tiniest of positive human relations would be a major struggle to achieve and maintain. And if the truth ever came out, if his identity was ever revealed, he would be hunted until his death or until his enemies were struck down.

But he would survive, the weedle swore. No one, pokémon or human should have to endure such a fate, but the poisonous bug swore that Ash would get the best he was able to give. He owed the Ketchums that much; He owed his former trainer Luke even more (though Luke would protest that Poison Lance owed him nothing; that if anything Luke owed the Weedle even more for putting up with him and being his friend). He gently rocked the basket containing the sleeping human and softly crooned to him.

Poison Lance then headed out into the center of the clearing, where the three silken domes met and a clear blue sky was visible. He looked at the sun and gauged the time. It would be a little later than usual, but the sun was still in the right position.

Wiping his horn in the dew stained green grass below him, the weedle stared up at the blue sky above him. He knew what he needed to do.

A ball of glistening white silk was launched high into the air, sparking with dew. It rose above the treetops, visible to all the wild pokémon and some of the humans in Pallet Town. As it reached the apex of its climb weedle unleashed a relatively mild Signal Beam into the ball of glistening silk. The ball and the beam met in midair as they eclipsed the weedle's view of the sun.

Across the sky the raced a glistening pulse of rainbow light as the silk was blown apart and the beam lost its integrity. It spread across the sky at the speed of the shockwave of the explosion and signaled every wild pokémon that Poison Lance wanted to meet with them the next day at noon.

That task done, Poison Lance called upon string shot again to seal up the entrance to his dwelling. He needed to be sure that in the case where Ash awoke, he would not be able to get too far from the clearing. Poison Lance didn't know how long this next task was going to take. He searched his head for relevant information.

From what he had heard from other wild pokémon and from what he had observed when he had observed the Ketchum home Ash should be able to walk. And he was pretty sure that humans could eat soft solid foods at that age. He would have to find a psychic type pokémon to confirm that- no he couldn't. A psychic type pokémon would be able to confirm several other facts he knew about human growth and upbringing, and if it was willing enough it would be able to assist in said upbringing, but unless Ash was able to eat solid food as of now he would either die of starvation, choke to death, or be stolen by his parent's murderer. There were no miltanks in the area to provide milk, and the people of Pallet Town kept no livestock (pokémon were never considered livestock).

Poison Lance forcibly stilled the fear rising inside him at the thought of little Ash dying of starvation. No one liked to see a child of any species die in such a manner. Worst come to worst he would give the child to Professor Oak and then steal him back in a few months.

Whatever group of humans was looking for the child would assume his disappearance to be the fault of other humans, so long as Poison Lance was not caught in the act... actually if he was caught in the act they would simply assume that his trainer had ordered him to steal the child.

_As if Luke would ever order me to do such a thing,_ snorted Poison Lance. The only trainer he had ever had was good man in his time.

Other than food, what necessities would the wild pokémon have to provide the growing human? The task of providing shelter and clothes were trivial to a pokémon as much experience with String Shot as himself. It was education that would be the hardest to provide. Ash would have to learn how to speak with other humans and to have some ability to write. And to have any hope of living with other humans Ash would also have to pick up some of the knowledge that only humans truly held, why the universe worked the way it did and how to apply that knowledge to how one lived.

Poison Lance sighed heavily once more, and then devoted himself to his task of gathering food for the tiny human.

"Momma!" cried Ash sobbing from his new silken basket as night fell outside. After much torturous effort Poison Lance had gotten him to eat the mushed berries that he had gathered. It was still easier than he had anticipated, the weedle had been worried that Ash would be frightened by his new surroundings and by the unfamiliar creature attempting to get him to eat out of a hastily constructed silk bowl. But as soon as Ash had seen Poison Lance he had cried out "Weed", stumbled out of his basket, and toddled over to hug the bug.

Evidently Ash wouldn't (or couldn't) be frightened by any of the pokémon he knew about. Thank the Weaver of the First Cocoon for small favors. But a new pokémon couldn't replace his parents in this situation, or his lost friends.

"Dadda! Want Mamaa, Dadda. Want Marp!" wailed the little boy. The weedle had tried to soothe him, but Ash couldn't understand the pokémon . He had tried to cuddle with the human, but Ash didn't want him.

For the first time in his life Poison Lance regretted not being furry, soft, and cuddly. A human child could use that sort of thing, and whatever positive qualities weedles had, those traits weren't listed among them. He'd need- a rattata for this job.

The weedle hurried out into the cool night air. There was a family of raticates and rattatas only five minutes away from his dwelling. He could get one of them to cuddle the human to sleep.

He came across them all huddled together in a big pile beneath a tree. That was going to make it hard to isolate the pokémon he needed. He looked for a purple tail in the mess and used String Shot to hank a surprised Rattata out of the mess. The rat pokémon landed before him with a sleepy startled yelp.

_What was dat for? _Asked the newly awakened pokémon, shaking his head and yawning.

_I have need of your services, _replied Poison Lance.

_Can't it wait until tomorrow? You know with da meeting and all? _The normal type mumbled.

_I require your services __**now**__, _the weedle responded with a small glare.

_Come on. Hold off till tomorrow after the meeting please, _the rattat pleaded.

_Unless you want me to be cranky, distraught, and possibly murderous during the meeting tomorrow, with hundreds of pokémon gathered before me, and no room to dodge, I would hurry up and assist me with this task. You will also learn about the purpose of the meeting in advance, if satisfied curiosity is any consolation._

_Fine, fine, I'm coming. Keep yar damn stinger on your head, _grumbled Rattata. He got up and followed the weedle back to the silk covered clearing.

_I don't know how good I'll be right now, _spoke the Rattata, _I'm tired as hell and can't think too none too well._

_Luckily not much is required of you, _replied Poison Lance. They had gotten close enough to the weedle's clearing to be able to hear the sounds of a crying human child. Rattata turned to Poison Lance with a quizzical expression on his tired face.

_That is the reason I have need of you, _the Weedle answered the unspoken question.

_What exactly do you need me to do?_

The purple pokémon and the poisonous pokémon entered the clearing and the bug used his stinger to slash open the tent containing Ash. Sitting against the silk basket the little human was alternating between wailing and rubbing his eyes with his tiny fists while sniffling. Poison Lance gathered a bit of power and used a small unreleased Signal Beam to illuminate the tent. The toddler looked up.

"Momma?" he asked and when he didn't see her he returned to wailing "Momma! Dadda! Marp!"

_Isn't dat the Ketchum kid? _Queried the rat pokémon. _What's he doing here?_

_That is the topic of tomorrow's meeting, _replied the old bug. _Right now I need a pokémon with certain qualities to assist me in caring for him tonight._

_What?_

_I need a small and fluffy pokémon to make him be quiet._

* * *

><p>Ash had quieted down with the arrival of the new pokémon and thus Poison Lance had gotten enough sleep to avoid being out of sorts. He thanked the Rattata in the morning who had assured him that it had been no problem, and even stuck around to play with Ash in the morning. A new pokémon had been just the thing to cheer him up.<p>

Ash himself had gone to sleep rather quickly after Rattata had arrived, but he had slept fitfully. Obviously he had been having nightmares and probably would have them for a long time.

Poison Lance crawled to the top of the highest silken dome, the one used for gatherings. The time was approaching and wild pokémon were starting to trickle into the clearing.

Small groups of pidgeys fluttered down from the treetops and landed amongst rattatas and raticates that scampered out of the undergrowth. caterpie, weedles, metapods, and kakunas crawled out the forest scattered among the rats and birds. There was the occasional butterfree and beedrill, with the latter looking torn between confusion and pride as they always did in the presence of Poison Lance. Nidorans scurried into the clearing, adding spots of blue and pink to the mix of colors below. Here and there a couple jagged yellow tails stood up indicating groups of pikachus.

Sometimes Poison Lance wondered how all of this came to be. How he ended up as head of the community of local wild pokémon. How there came to be a community of local wild pokémon.

Communities of pokémon were not unheard of, but generally they were all formerly trained pokémon, or there was a human involved, or they were all of the same species.

Well, thought Poison Lance with an internal snort, due to similarities in the cellular structure of all pokémon, humans classified all pokémon as a single species. Sometimes all one could do was shake one's head at the oddness of humans.

Though, to be fair, local wild pokémon who did eat one another or get eaten by one another talked to each other. Predator pokémon would talk to their prey and vice versa when they were not currently hunting or being hunted. Flocks, herds, and other associations of pokémon could be considered communities, and they were generally they were led by the strongest and wisest member, oftentimes a pokémon who had travelled with a trainer. So the situation was not entirely unheard of.

But Poison Lance still had to step back from time to time and just wonder at the strangeness of a weedle, no matter how strong, leading a group of pokémon consisting of several different species that were only tied together by geography. Indeed, he shared the strange feeling evolutionary brethren at the thought of a weedle leading beedrills.

It had started out simple. He had wandered into the area after his travels with Luke had been completed and decided to settle down. The occasional pidgeotto, spearow, and fearow had tried to eat him and he had knocked them out with ease. Poison Lance had then waited for them to wake up, warn them against trying again, and then asked about current world events. Eventually they stopped hunting weedles all together as they were afraid that they would attack him again. Of course this garnered a large amount of respect from his brethren.

He would also politely ask any predatory pokémon he caught hunting other types to quietly cease and desist while in his presence, and to take their business elsewhere. Poison Lance was used to pokémon battles, and the sounds of the hunt stirred up old memories him in (that he found quite welcome) and old instincts (which he did not really mind) that could prove harmful to the predatory pokémon. This got him a reputation with the rest of the pokémon in the area.

It was the forest fire that truly proved to be the catalyst though.

No one knew how it had started and in the end no one had cared. It had consumed large parts of the Viridian Forest and had spread to the wilderness between Pallet Town and Viridian City. The local pokémon all fled as fast as they were able. But many would not abandon their eggs and had been slowed. Some of them worked together, different species coming together to survive the heat. They got farther than most expected when they ran into trouble; the fire had spread fast enough to cut off their escape routes. Indeed it had spread fast enough to stop even the unburdened pokémon from escaping.

It was then Poison Lance acted. Normally he would leave such natural events alone, but he would not be himself if he could let so many pokémon suffer an inescapable and painful fate. So he dropped off the tree branch he had been sitting in and crawled to the front of the huddled mass of pokémon.

Fires roared and smoke blocked off the sky, so thick that not even the flying pokémon could escape. The intensity of the heat was like a physical thing, so great that pokémon hundreds of feet away were starting to develop burns, those closer to the flames were in grave danger of death and writhed in extreme agony.

Poison Lance faced it undeterred, crawling through the writhing pokémon closer to the fire. Other pokémon watched in awe as a lone weedle moved through the deadly heat to stand before all the still living pokémon, standing taller than any other weedle they had seen.

He had undergone training to help deal with his weakness to fire and while still extremely vulnerable to fire wielded by pokémon of his level, his general resistance to heat was greater than all of the weaker wild pokémon . So he was able to stand before them and face down the wild flames.

Poison Lance had used his String Shot to counter the flames, releasing _torrents_ of liquid silk, like a bug type Hydro Pump. He was unrelenting; he kept pumping out galleon after galleon aiming at nearby spots of fire, at any fuel sources, at the flames themselves, and over bits of silk that had caught fire after drying.

It took everything he had to open an exit large enough for all the trapped pokémon and it took more than he ever thought that he had to keep it open long enough for all of them to escape.

After he thought that the last of them had made it out Poison Lance let himself fall, too tired to care about the rest of the fire. Let it come, let it consume him. He was so tired, he would not mind sleeping forever. He would be with Luke again.

But as Poison Lance had lay down to die, a pidgeotto had sped through the shrinking safe passage to check for stragglers. It had seen the valiant bug stumble and fall as the flames started to close in about it. So it whisked him away to safety.

After he recovered he had found himself to be the informal leader of the wild pokémon. From there things built up.

Pokémon had come to him seeking advice about various matters; it was then that he decided to make a permanent home in the clearing. Others came to him seeking aid for their injuries or their eggs. Poison Lance helped them and created the second structure in the clearing.

Finally he eventually heard of events in the outside world that all the wild pokémon should be aware of: the movements of groups of dangerous pokémon, the approach of humans that could prove harmful, and if any of the evil Teams were acting up in the area. It was then he made the meeting hall that filled most the clearing and spread word throughout the population of the local wild pokémon about how meetings would be called.

Poison Lance shook himself out of his musings when he noticed that the sun was signaling that it was noon. Time to begin the meeting.

Being a bug type Pokémon meant that Poison Lance had no need of raised platforms to stand above a crowd. He could just stick to the wall and address them from there. Normally it was an easy thing to do, but having to hold a squirming toddler was making things more difficult.

Weaver of the First Cocoon help him when Ash started growing bigger. He was already as large as the weedle. Maybe he should set the human down? Nah, Ash's eyes were already as wide as dinner plates at the sight of all the pokémon before him. The child would be overloaded if he set him down there.

_If you are wondering why I called you all here today (quit squirming human) I have grave news _the bug pokémon addressed the crowd.

Poison Lance told them of the events that had occurred two nights ago, about what he knew of the destruction of the Ketchums, about the flight of Mareep, and about the pursuit of Ash. Then several wild pokémon spoke up. Apparently they had visited the Ketchum house yesterday only to find it a charred wreckage with various humans poking through it and others crying nearby. Police, guessed Poison Lance, and mourners. Trying to figure out what had happened.

Sad and worried murmuring drifted up from the crowd below. After the meeting Poison Lance knew that they would go to mourn the humans and their pokémon in their own ways.

_What's with da kid? _Piped up a rattata.

For the first time the entire crowd's attention was on the little human. Ash quit squirming as hundreds of pairs of eyes turned to him. He gazed back in amazement and then delightedly spoke a signal word.

"Pokémon!"

* * *

><p>After Poison Lance had briefly explained the situations surrounding the child and what he planned to do about it, he informed the pokémon that he would need volunteers to assist him. Everyone else didn't need to concern themselves with the issue.<p>

Of course he told them all, he expected that if they found the boy wandering alone that they would return him to Poison Lance, that they would not go spreading word about the boy, and that they weren't to trouble him. But other than that it did not concern them unless they wanted it too.

He asked if there was any opposition to the plan and there was none. Poison Lance then dismissed the meeting and told the group that any pokémon who wanted to assist immediately should stay behind.

Several pokémon of various types did so and the Bug pokémon descended to talk to them. He spotted a pair of pikachus in the crowd that were carrying an egg. Perfect, he needed babysitters to watch over the squirming human. Trying to hold him for any longer was not an attractive prospect.

He went to the pair and said, _Could you two attend to a task right now?_

_Of course, _replied the larger of the two

_Watch him for me, _groaned the weedle as he put Ash down. He turned to leave, but then was struck by a thought.

_Why did you bring your egg with you? _he asked the pair.

_We were going to go to the Ketchum house so that they could do that human stuff to the baby when it hatched, to make sure it's healthy, _said the smaller of the pair, _but when we got there..._

_It's gonna hatch soon, _continued the larger Pikachu. _And we couldn't just leave it alone. _He glanced down at the egg and noticed that Ash had sat down in front of it and was curiously examining it.

"Pokémon egg" said the human. He reached out and touched the smaller Pikachu's tail. "Pikachu tail!" Ash exclaimed. He turned back to the egg. "Pikachu egg!"

_Poor thing _said the smaller Pikachu. She turned to the boy staring at the egg and nuzzled the back of his head. Ash giggled at this and turned around to hug the yellow pokémon smiling widely.

Something caught is attention and his smile vanished to be replaced with a quizzical expression. He turned back to the egg and leaned closer, cocking his head as if to listen to something.

The three nearby pokémon turned to the egg as it started to rock (nearly hitting a startled Ash). All the pokémon left in the silken dome started to notice the event and surrounded the four beings sitting around the egg. They watched in silence as the egg started to rock harder and cracks started to appear.

Part of the shell broke off and a tiny yellow head poked out into the world. The little pokémon's first sight was that of an awed toddler staring at him as if he were the most amazing thing in the history of the universe.

"Pichu?" inquired the baby pokémon .

The human giggled and shrieked at this. Reaching out one hand, he patted the pokémon on the head.

"Pichu!" replied Ash.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon.

Edited as of 8/4/2012

Touched up as of 5/5/2015

* * *

><p>He could feel it.<p>

It felt like that final moment just before a being realizes that they are tired. That one moment where one feels normal but one also feels like something is falling, either themselves or something heavy above them. A minor lessening of rain during the storm, almost indistinguishable from all the occurrences other that came before. A final flex before a surface breaks.

The old weedle could feel it in the tree branch he was standing upon. He could taste it in the air, he had felt it in the grass and the earth beneath him. Even the wind that rustled the treetops and created light shows with the limbs of the trees, their leaves, and the brilliant orange beams of the setting sun, carried the feeling.

Poison Lance could feel summer start to end and the world start to die, as the planet tilted towards winter.

It had been three years since that fiery night. Three difficult years, though three years the old bug did not regret in the slightest.

Considering the size of the local wild pokémon community, the popularity of the Ketchums, and the fact that almost no sapient being liked to see a child suffer, Poison Lance never failed to find a volunteer. Of course he made sure never to ask too much or too often of any pokémon in order to keep them volunteering.

Pokémon of every kind had babysat the little human occasionally.

Rattatas, he had asked to be thieves; to steal bits of human foods when it was safe to, to steal children's vitamins when they were sure that they had the right containers, to steal first aid kits when they were sure that the kits were surplus, and to steal clothes that Ash would need for special occasions.

Pikachus, Poison Lance had asked to assist Ash in mastering walking. He had been nearly there when he joined them, but Poison Lance decided to err on the side of caution; he did not remember the full list of skills humans learned from observing their parents and other humans, so he would take no chances there.

Pidgeys were the lookouts, information gathers, and gossipers. It was through them Poison Lance had learned that the killers of the Ketchums had not launched an investigation. Only the local police had done so, and it had been limited to the house.

The weedle could only hope that the murderous scum had decided that Ash was dead, but it would cost the villains little to keep an ear out. They might have known that Ash had survived that night and had decided to investigate more covertly. Or maybe they were based around Pallet Town and were waiting for him to reappear. Poison Lance sometimes wondered if they were like Team Rocket and had operatives in every human city.

Had it been Team Rocket? The old bug pokémon pondered that for a second. Team Rocket generally used other types of pokémon, mostly those local to the Kanto region, not the abundance of houndooms that he had killed that night. But they might have decided to branch out. Maybe those fire/dark pokémon had belonged to a third party working with them or for them. There were too many unknowns to be sure.

_If only we had done more Luke, _sighed the weedle to himself. Lucas had been one of the many trainers to oppose Team Rocket back in the day, when they were far more powerful back then, compared to now. Together he and his pokémon had helped to beat the Rockets back in the post war chaos.

But as soon as they were not desperately needed any longer, Lucas had left the fight. He had confided in his pokémon that he had no stomach for killing pokémon whose only fault had been belonging to evil masters.

Poison Lance disagreed there. He and the rest of the team had no problem in killing most the Rocket pokémon that wouldn't surrender. At that point the pokémon who helped in the foul deeds of the Rockets was irredeemable and would have to be put down, twisted to start with, or they tripped over themselves in their haste to surrender and escape their evil masters.

There was another category of course, the category of pokémon who refused to do evil for their Rocket masters. They had been killed or subject to horrific experiments. Poison Lance could not even begin to honor their nobility and sacrifice, nor could he begin to properly grieve for them, for if he started to grieve for them, he would never be able to stop.

Shaking himself out of his memories, Posion Lance reminded himself that he didn't know if Team Rocket was behind the destruction of the Ketchums. It could be a new group, or an old group that he had never heard of.

It was for that reason he could not just give the boy to some far off orphanage. Until he had some knowledge of how far the influence of the villains spread Poison Lance had no idea which areas would be safe. They might be a local group and thus sending Ash on the back of a Pidgeot to Unova would be enough to save him. Or it might be a group based in Unova who had only come to Kanto because of the Ketchums.

Raising him here, like this was the best way to ensure that Ash stayed out of their evil hands.

It had not been the best life for the child. Ash lacked most of the creature comforts that other humans took for granted, such as access to a fire. If only there was a fire type around, Poison Lance could have spared the boy much discomfort each winter. But instead he had to force the boy into bulky silk clothes (a task made more difficult by the weedle's lack of hands) that made the boy look like a cocoon with five protrusions.

It was fortunate that the area around Pallet Town and Viridian City had such mild winters. Ash's diet mostly consisted of berries, bits of stolen rice, and various stolen jerkies. Poison Lance tried to substitute quantity over quality to the best of his ability in regards to Ash's diet, since he lacked quantity slightly less than quality. That was why he had the rattatas steal the children's vitamins, to try and make up for any nutritional deficiencies in the boy's diet.

But what worried him most was the boy's ability to interact with other humans. With no human speech to listen to the boy would have lost the ability to talk if Poison Lance had not taken risky measures. Several times a week, for the first two years, he had teams of pokémon sneak the boy into human public places, simply to listen to people speak. At least once a week he had the pokémon allow the boy to speak with a human in an isolated environment for a short time and then snatch the boy back as soon as the other human looked away.

The pokémon made sure to do it in a different place each time and to never be seen. Nobody would remember a random boy who had briefly been in the park on the day it had been mostly deserted. And even if someone did it was unlikely they would know it was Ash. And in the worst case scenario, were someone connected to the murders had recognized him, they would not know where to find the boy.

These actions may have seemed counterproductive towards the bug pokémon's goal of keeping the child safe and hidden. If he was going to expose the boy like this why not simply give him to an orphanage? It was for the simple fact that Poison Lance still had control in the current situation. The risks were known, the known factors were accounted for, and safeguards, precautions, and plans had been made to deal with the unknown factors.

There had always been two raticates with the group at first, one to grab Ash and run at the first sign of danger and the other to take any potential human threats by surprise (aka hold a Hyper Fang to their throat) while the others escaped, after which it was to use Quick Attack to escape. As Ash grew older one of the raticates was switched out for a pidgeotto to bear the boy to safety.

In the event Ash was discovered to still be alive no human would likely think to look for him among wild pokémon. Why would wild pokémon let him be among other humans? What would any wild pokémon know of human development or behavior? No one would expect pokémon to be capable of knowing such things. Especially humans like Team Rocket who tended to look down on pokémon.

Very few human ever thought about the effect that trained pokémon living in the wild would have on the situation.

Besides in the event that Ash was discovered, Poison Lance could relocate the boy.

It had paid off in the end. Those sessions had saved Ash's language skills and, although he was far behind other children his age, he had not lost the ability to talk like Poison Lance had feared he would. But the boy lacked most of the basic social skills and social knowledge humans had.

So after that first year and a half Poison Lance had cut back on the visitations and disallowed any more conversations with adult humans. Instead he made sure that once a month Ash was covertly placed somewhere he could interact with humans his age. It was nowhere near enough for a human child, but at least he did not lack social interaction with his peers entirely.

Movement in the undergrowth down the game trail informed Poison Lance that Ash and a collection of pokémon were returning from one such trip. The old weedle crawled down the tree he had been awaiting their arrival on.

There was one blessing Ash's unusual upbringing had bestowed upon him though, one that Poison Lance was grateful beyond measure, the weedle reflected as the party emerged from some bushes, Ash in the lead.

_And how was it this time Ash? _Poison Lance asked Ash.

"It was okay" replied Ash.

Ash understood pokémon.

* * *

><p>"And then Harry said that the Blues were the best soccer team and then Sally said that the Reds were and then she threw sand to his face and then I ask what soccer is..."<p>

Ash excitedly recited the events of his day as the he and Poison Lance headed for their tent. Over the years Poison Lance's paranoia had driven him to start sleeping in different spots in the area so that if anyone got a lead on Ash's location they would have another small measure of security. The clearing still housed the sanctuary and the meeting hall and Poison Lance and Ash still spent most of their time there. But when night came they went off to different locations.

Ash was wearing some child sized jeans that were slightly too big, a light green shirt, and a pair of red sneakers, all stolen from various stores by rattatas using Quick Attack. They were all in good quality to avoid giving Ash the appearance of being neglected and Poison Lance made sure that the boy washed in a creek before every time he visited other humans. The weedle did not want anyone to have any reason to investigate Ash further than a first look.

As they reached the tent Ash finished up talking about the day's events started to take off his 'nice' clothes. Inside the tent were the garments that Poison Lance had made using String Shot. They were all plain white and somewhat dirtied and torn (it was almost time to make some new ones). Those garments were what Ash wore most of the time.

"Oh. Didya friend throw speak at you yet?" asked Ash.

_Could you repeat that? _Responded the weedle.

"Sowry" _Did your friend send any word yet? _Repeated Ash. He had picked up on the unusual way pokémon communicated with each other, that mysterious process that perhaps only the Creator and First Egg understood. Pocket Watch had entertained some theories on its precise nature, but Poison Lance had never cared.

Speaking of Pocket Watch, the old bug had need of that pokémon's service rather desperately. It was almost time for the weedle's most heinous action taken on behalf of Ash to date. An action undertaken by all human parents that inflicted unimaginable misery on their children. A necessary evil, but an evil nonetheless.

Summer was dying and next would come Ash's sixth or seventh autumn upon this world. It was just about time to get him an _education_.

* * *

><p>The hypno walked down the human path in the Viridian Forest, a golden watch on a golden chain dangling from his right hand. He knew that walking the human path was somewhat risky, some trainer might try and capture him, but he was confident in both his ability to run away and his own power. No Bug Catcher would be able to get him (despite the type advantage). Besides it was faster than most of the game trails and he had gotten in the habit from his own days with a trainer.<p>

Pidgeys twittered in the trees and a golden sun shone down out of a clear blue sky. Gentle breezes caressed the trees and petted the grass. The wind was cool and comforting, a nice contrast to the sun beating down on the psychic's yellow skin. Days like the current one were why the hypno kept traveling long after his journey with his trainer had ended. New sights and old sights, new lands beneath his feet and ground his feet had tread many times before, new pokémon, new people, new friends and old friends, his life on the road gave him all these things. And speaking of old friends, he had gotten word from some flying type pokémon that a former comrade of his needed him.

And so he had headed from Johto to Kanto. It had been four years since he last saw the bug. It was long past time for him to visit and catch up with him anyway. But what did Poison Lance need with him? Pocket Watch would have had expected any message from the old bug to be less vague than what he had received.

There was a bend in the trail and when he followed it, the hypno was met with an interesting sight. In the middle of the Viridian Forest, the wild, untamed, Viridian Forest there was a dark haired giggling kid chasing after a couple of rattatas. A giggling kid dressed entirely in crude white silk. Silk that looked like it had come from a String Shot.

The rattatas, looking back at the kid (and laughing?) ran into his shins. The little kid barely managed to avoid the hypno but ended up tripping over one of the rat pokémon and ended up tumbling into the side of the trail. Both of the rattatas looked up fearfully. It was easy to see that they were both young and extremely terrified at the fact that they had run into an evolved psychic type. Not that Pocket Watch minded; they were young and it had been a youthful accident. No need to mind crush the two. But the human picking himself on the side of the trail intrigued him.

Shaking a few leaves out of his hair the young boy looked up at the hypno. When he saw the yellow pokémon his face split into a wide grin.

_I'm sorry Mr. Hypno, _he said, bowing to the stunned psychic, _we were playing tag and I guess we weren't looking where we were going._

Pocket Watch blinked. Had the human just spoken to him in the manner of pokémon?

_No apologies required Mr... _the hypno trailed off.

_You're a wild pokémon right? Ketchum sir is my name. Come on! _He said to the two rattatas. _I'm still it and you two need to look where you're going! Sorry again Mr. Hypno. _The boy said as he the group started their game again.

Pocket Watch blinked. There was little else one could do at such a strange happening.

Mulling over the strange event as he continued he looked for local pokémon to direct him to Poison Lance. A task hindered by the fact most of the pokémon were terrified of him.

Instead of staying for some polite conversation they took one look at him and ran off. As if that would save them if he had wished them ill. It could be annoying, being such a such a talented, powerful, handsome, knowledgeable, wonderful, charming-

Blast it, that rattata was going to stand still and answer his questions. Using his psychic powers he grabbed the pokémon as it tried to run away. Pocket Watch levitated the pokémon until the rat was level with his eyes.

_Look I just need you to answer a couple questions,_ he tersely told the terrified pokémon in his mental grasp. _Now are you going to cooperate or do I have to mind crush you?_

Before the terrified pokémon could respond, the world went dark for Pocket Watch. He felt something hit his face and stick. Then there was an impact and he was sent flying into a tree. Following up that attack he felt something else hit him, covering his whole body. It felt like the substance stuck on his face, which he could now identify as String Shot silk.

Cursing type effectiveness he tried to use his powers to break free of the silk. It was futile, psychic powers had great difficulty when dealing with bug type attacks.

_Oh, it's you,_ spoke a familiar voice, one Pocket Watch guessed, that belonged to his attacker. _I see you are the same as ever._

Of course. Who else would inflict this indignity upon him, but one who had known him for a long time.

_Poison Lance I assume, _replied Pocket Watch. _Would you kindly explain why you tied me to this damn tree?_

_I had gotten word that an evolved psychic type had been harassing wild pokémon in the area, so I immediately set out to rectify the situation, _the weedle explained in a bemused tone._ And here I come across you accosting a rattata. How else should I have reacted?_

_I hadn't bothered a single pokémon until that rat. I was going to ask them where to find you but they all ran at the sight of me, _snarled Pocket Watch.

_Understandable but still reprehensible. But I do suppose this is no way to greet an old comrade. Hold still while I cut you down. _In what sounded like a single motion, all the String Shot silk was cut off.

The hypno collapsed to the ground as he was unbound. He stood up and glared down at the old weedle standing before him.

_Ordinarily, I would say that it has been far too long, _spoke Pocket Watch, _but I would be lying._

_My apologies, _replied the weedle, _but I have already explained my reasoning. Would you care for some food?_

* * *

><p><em>So a strange thing happened to me today, <em>began Pocket Watch. He was sitting cross legged on the ground under Poison Lance's private tent in the middle of the public clearing. A pile of berries sat before him and he and the weedle snacked on them as they talked.

_Oh. What was this strange event? _inquired the bug pokémon.

_I was walking down a Virdian Forest path-_

_A human one?_

_Yes, _answered Pocket Watch.

_That is a bad habit that I hoped you would have broken by now, _the weedle sighed.

_And I would've hoped that you would've given up on the nagging by now, _the hypno responded.

_It comes with being a leader of a community._

_You nagged before then, _Hypno shot back._ You started nagging me when I was a freshly captured drowzee. But that's beside the point. What happened was two rattatas ran into me._

_Not an unusual event,_ replied the weedle.

_No but what was strange was what came after that. There was a human child chasing them._

_And did this child run into you as well? _Poison Lance asked innocently.

_No he jumped to the side. The surprising thing was-_

_Poison Lance! I'm home! _Shouted a human voice from outside the tent.

_- was that he could talk like a Pokémon, _finished the hypno sighing. _I should've known you didn't need me for anything normal._

Ash walked into the tent, smudges of dirt painted on him and his clothes by the day's activities.

_Welcome home Ash, _Poison Lance calmly replied. _From what I have heard, I think that you have met my friend here. Pocket Watch this is Ash Ketchum. Ash Ketchum, Pocket Watch._

_You're that hypno from the forest! _exclaimed Ash.

_I would like you to use human speech when communicating with him please, _Poison Lance requested._ He can use his powers to tell what you mean and you need the practice._

"Okay Poison Lance. I pleased to met you Pants sack Clock" Ash said holding out a hand. Pocket Watch took it.

_I think you meant to say 'I am pleased to meet you Pocket Watch' _the hypno told the boy.

"I said that"

_No you said 'I pleased to met you Pants sack Clock' _the hypno replied, using telepathy to send the memory to the boy.

Ash turned red. "I'm sowry"

_It's 'sorry' not 'sowry' _said Pocket Watch

Ash turned redder.

_Ash could you go take some food for dinner and then go talk to Pidgey over in the north end of the clearing?_ the weedle requested of the boy. I_ hear he has some interesting news_

Ash nodded, grabbed a silk sack full of berries (that he himself had foraged the day before as the pokémon had taught him to) and ran out of the tent.

_He seems like a nice kid _Pocket Watch offered.

_Ash is a great child _replied Poison Lance.

_So what's his story then?_

* * *

><p><em>Damn bastards! <em>Pocket Watch shouted. _Cowardly fuckin scum!_

_I would like you to refrain from shouting and such profanities at this time, _scolded Poison Lance, calmly eating another berry.

_Attacking in the night, killing a family and chasing a child? I think this calls for swearing and shouting, _seethed the hypno.

_It was an event that happened three years ago, _the weedle gently reminded him.

_Don't pretend you don't feel the same way about this_, Pocket Watch accused.

_Unlike you, I was there that day, remember. I expressed my feelings in a different manner._

* * *

><p><em>So that's why the kid has trouble talking like a human, <em>Pocket Watch said nodding.

_If I had not undertaken those actions he would not be able to communicate like a human at all, _replied the weedle, _and if you remember I thought about other alternatives. But this does bring me to the reason I requested your presence._

_I can't use my powers to simply plant knowledge in someone's head. It doesn't work like that. Merely attempting to do that can cause_ _**permanent **__mental harm!_

_I had not even considered asking you to attempt that my old friend, _Poison Lance reassured._ Instead I had hoped for your assistance in a different manner. I seem to recall certain missions during the conflict with Team Rocket required your talents._

_You want me to sneak him somewhere?_ Pocket Watch asked, confused. _I thought that you didn't want to give him to an orphanage._

_You are correct. Instead I intend to have him go to school, _Poison Lance informed his old comrade.

_What stupidly complex plan have you come up with this time? Is it anything like the Ninja Mansion incident?_

_I assure you, I have grown out of such ludicrous schemes, _the weedle huffed._ I merely intend for him to receive an education like other human children. He will need such things when he rejoins human society. I at least need him to learn how to read and write. With those skills he can partially educate himself._

_What do you want me to do about it,_ inquired Pocket Watch.

_I need you to sneak him in each day with that Psychic Stealth Cloak move of yours, mildly confuse the teacher each day so they will forget that Ash has not been officially assigned to the class, and sneak him out._

_Aren't you worried that he'll be discovered?_ Pocket Watch didn't mention that the plan was complex. Not as ludicrous as the Ninja Mansion incident, but not by enough for the psychic's comfort.

_That is a risk, but it is a risk we have had to deal with this whole time._

_Ideally, how many years do you want him to get?_

_Four, _the weedle answered.

_Four? Why only four?_ The hypno gave the bug type a confused look.

_Because most pokémon trainers start their journeys when they reach eleven years of age._

_And how do you know he'll become a pokémon trainer?_

_I know the boy, _Poison Lance told his comrade._ The forest knows the boy. All the pokémon around Pallet Town know the boy. He does not know it yet, but as soon as he hears about the concept, as soon as he has it explained to him, he will decide to become one. And no one and nothing will be able to stop him._

Pocket Watch leaned back on an elbow and thought about what his friend was asking him.

_One year, maybe a year and a half,_ Pocket Watch said after deliberating._ Until he learns to read and write. It'll be too risky for everyone involved after that. After I'll help you steal some books for him and then you'll be on your own again._

_That will be enough my friend. Thank you._

The hypno smirked.

_I wonder what Luke would've thought of this, _he asked his smaller comrade.

_I think that he would have been outraged in regards to the particular situation. But as to the general situation, pokémon raising a human in such a manner-_

_And forcing said human to go to school, ironically enough, _the hypno's smirk grew bigger.

_Oh yes, the irony is overwhelming, _the weedle was starting to shake._ A human child living in the wild, raised by wild beings, being forced to attend school. Oh yes, Luke would have 'laughed his ass off' as he would have put it._

_Oh yes. But you know, you'll also have it better than many human parents._

_How so?_

_The boy will leave home before puberty, _

_Puberty! Damn, I completely forgot about that. Sweet, merciful, Lords of Time, Space, and Distortions thank you, thank you, thank you for sparing me that horror._

Both he and Pocket Watch starting laughing.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon

Edited as of 11:22 PM 1/20/2013

Touched up as of 5/15/2015

* * *

><p><em>Do you have everything?<em>

_Yes Poison Lance. I have all the notebooks, the pencils, red pens, and crayons that you had Rattata steal for me, _answered Ash.

It was during the end of August, that the old weedle, Poison Lance, had started to prepare the pokéraised child Ash for his single year of public education.

_Do you remember everything I told you? _Asked the elder pokémon.

_Yes Poison Lance,_ Ash replied, rolling his amber eyes._ A lot of children will be mean to me because of how I talk human. I'm never supposed to reveal that I can understand pokémon to classmates or to show any sign of that talent in front of my classmates. I'm to listen to Pocket Watch whenever he tells me to do something. I'm to avoid the subject of my parents. If other children ask, I'm to change the subject or say that they wouldn't like me talking about it. If the teacher says something I'm to listen to it like it was from you. I'm supposed to talk to you before I tell anyone anything major._

_Good child, _replied Poison Lance. He briefly nuzzled the boy's hair, while Ash tied his shoe. _Do not worry. The other children would not be cruel to you if they had the full story. But if they had the full story-_

_Then the villains could get me. I know, I know. It's just- _started Ash. But no six or seven year old could adequately express what Ash felt. It could be said that no star incapable of going supernova could adequately express what he felt.

_They had not stolen your parents and friends from you. That it was not left up to an old weelde to raise you_. Poison Lance sighed, _But it does not matter what we want. What matters is simply what is._

_I don't feel any regret, or worry, or remorse, or anything un-good towards you raising me Poison Lance, _returned the boy, blushing. The old bug chuckled.

_And the only thing I regret about dealing with you, boy, is that your parents and their pokémon could not be here to see it as well, _giving another reassuring nuzzle._ But do not worry about such things. Go and learn how to read and write, and hopefully, how to speak with your species speak better. Now, do you remember your name for when you are at school?_

_"_Aaron Autumns" replied Ash, finishing the task of tying his shoe. He turned around, knelt, and hugged Poison Lance. "Worry not. I be fine."

_It is my duty to worry. For if I will not worry, then who will? _responded the old weedle. He nuzzled Ash. _But, I suppose my duty is fulfilled. Go with Pocket Watch now and have the best first day at school that you are able._

_Thanks Poison Lance. I'll see you later _cried the boy as he grabbed his backpack and ran off to meet Pocket Watch.

The weedle watched him run off. Human parents were so lucky he thought. They never had to worry about the kids they sent off to school revealing terrible secrets and being snatched up by an evil organization. They had no reason whatsoever to worry about those kids. Those fortunate misbegotten human parents.

* * *

><p>It was a very difficult task, Pocket Watch reflected. After some reconnaissance he and Poison Lance had changed their plan. Instead of confusing the teacher daily, they decided to confuse a few bureaucrats and got Ash Ketchum officially enrolled in the local Pallet Town School as Aaron Autumns. The hypno was even good enough to get him into speech therapy.<p>

Using Psychic powers in such a manner was difficult if one did not want to damage the subject. That was why the two pokémon amended their plan and decided to get to the root of the problem. The hypno would still have to come to school each day and keep an eye out for anyone suspicious, either a suspicious seeming character or a person who was suspicious of Ash. If he spotted one then he was to delicately and covertly use his powers on them.

Honestly, Pocket Watch preferred the days when he could just mind crush people in the name of stealth. But these people were not Team Rocket, most likely. They were, for the most part, well-meaning civilians who would be concerned for a child.

Or if they were Team Rocket, then they were part an evil team that would notice if one of their members was unexpectedly mind crushed in a school. One of the two.

Of course he could always mind crush them after the reported back...

Damnit! He was assisting his dear friend with an altruistic task here. Crushing minds could wait.

It was time to take Ash Ketchum, sorry, Aaron Autumns to school.

* * *

><p>It was not a bad first day, at least by the standards of the three involved. A bad first day would have to involve some sort of investigation being launched (Poison Lance's fear), being kicked out for being too stupid (Ash's fear), or something happening that would increase the number of people that needed to be confused or the arrival of plenty of prime candidates for mind crushing that could not be crushed due to circumstances (Pocket Watch's fear; He also noticed that he had been wanting to crush minds a lot more since he had heard Ash's story).<p>

Ash considered it a big success.

It had been during recess, where Ash had been sitting alone. He remembered Poison Lance's warning, about how the other kids might be mean to him due to his sub-par language skills. So he decided to avoid the other kids and just sit in some empty corner of the playground. It had been a fine plan. Unfortunately the plan was no match for a rouge soccer ball.

Blinking the stars out of his eyes, Ash sat up, looking around for the projectile.

"Hey kid!" Someone shouted, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine" replied Ash.

A brown haired youth with coal black eyes ran over to him. He glanced around and then grabbed the soccer ball. The child then turned to Ash.

"Sorry bout that. Mishit the ball" spoke the brown haired youth. "I'm Gary Oak."

From what little Ash knew about human etiquette he guessed he was supposed to introduce himself.

"I'm A-aron Autumns" Ash replied.

"Why don't you come play with us?" inquired Gary.

"I'm not good at that" Ash answered. He was following some advice that Pocket Watch had given him, to keep his sentences as short as possible to conceal as much of his linguistic ignorance as he was able.

"Pssh. We're not really playing soccer so much as kicking the ball occasionally as we argue about pokémon."

"Really? I'll go" replied Ash. He wanted to find out what his peers knew about pokémon.

The two ran across the playground as small children are prone to doing, towards a group of kids standing in a field.

"This is Aaron" announced Gary, as they arrived, "he's playing with us now."

There was a scattered chorus of hellos. Most the group was not paying attention to the newcomer and the returning child. They were focused on an argument occurring between a small boy with light purple hair and a somewhat rotund black haired boy. The subject of the debate was of course, pokémon. In particular about whether or not any number of rattatas could ever hope to bring down a snorlax.

"A snorlax could just blast them all at once with Hyper Beam" said the small boy "and crush any survivors with Body Slam. What are the rattatas going to do, Quick Attack them?"

"They could get lucky" refuted the rotund boy "if they all attacked at once-"

"They would just bounce off of it. Or maybe they'd hurt it a bit, then snorlax would use Rest and fall asleep on them and squish them. Face it, there's no way any number of rattatas could beat snorlax."

Ash recalled talking with some rattatas and Poison Lance about days gone by, when Poison Lance had fought alongside the human Lucas to stop Team Rocket.

"Not true" he spoke up. All the eyes in the group turned to him, and Ash blushed.

"Oh really" said the purple haired boy haughtily, "how can a rattata ever beat up a snorlax. They're all too weak-"

"Sucker Punch start," Ash spoke heatedly "snorlax surprise, strong rattata should know Double Team, snorlax misses, Super Fang, Quick Attack to dodge snorlax. Rattata use Double Team again, Quick Attack dodge follow. Hyper Fang, stupid snorlax use Rest, smart snorlax use Defense Curl. Rattata uses Super Fang on stupid snorlax and Hyper Fang till it defeated. Rattata use more Double Team and Quick Attack dodge on smart snorlax, depends on if smart snorlax ever hits it."

The group of kids blinked. Taking a bit of time to decipher what Aaron (Ash) had said, Gary thought the strategy over.

Using Quick Attack to repeatedly dodge attacks could exhaust a pokémon pretty quickly. But a rattata that knew Double Team would either have to be well trained or very intelligent and strong. A pokémon of that level could probably manage it. Using Super Fang to take down large chunks of the snorlax's endurance was a good move, as was repeating it on a sleeping snorlax. One could beat a snorlax that tried to use its Rest ability with a sufficiently powerful rattata in that manner. And a more intelligent one, or one under the guidance of a trainer would probably use some move to reduce the rattata's ability to hurt the snorlax after seeing what damage the purple pokémon could do. It wasn't foolproof, and Aaron knew it. As soon as the rattata got hit it was all over.

"Anyway" continued Ash "not right fight. Rattata should fight munchlax, Raticate should fight snorlax."

"What's a Munchlax" asked the purple haired boy, mulling over the pokeraised child's words.

"What Snorlax evolve from" answered Ash.

"I didn't know that snorlaxs evolved from anything. Gary is he right?" asked the rotund kid.

Gary thought about it for a moment.

"Yeah, I think so. I remember grandpa saying something about the pre-evolved form of Snorlax not being found in Kanto" answered the auburn haired child, "And I think Aaron's strategy would work. Not sure though, I'll have to ask grandpa."

"Really!" exclaimed the rotund kid. He turned to Ash. "Hey Aaron, if you're so smart, why do you talk like that?"

Ash blushed and rubbed the back of his head.

"I no speak good" he replied.

"Did you fill your brain up with too much knowledge on pokémon?" inquired Gary "that you forgot how to talk right."

"Maybe?"

"Cool! I didn't know it was possible to really fill up brains like that!" exclaimed Gary excitedly. He started to examine Ash's head, running from one side of the boy to the other looking for any sign of brain overflow.

"That why I come school" said Ash, "learn how talk right again. And read."

"You mean you actually want to learn that boring stuff?" said the purple haired boy. "Don't you want to learn more about pokémon?"

"Learn that home already" replied Ash, still mortified at the attention. "Learn read and can learn pokémon from books too. Learn speak and can ask people bout pokémon."

"What do your parents do? Is it something poke-related?" asked a child from the crowd.

"Not supposed to talk bout it. But lots pokémon involved."

"Cooool!"

And then the bell rung, signaling that recess was over.

* * *

><p>Getting Ash out of school was slightly more difficult than getting him to school.<p>

First the hypno had to wait until he separated from some boy Ash had been animatedly discussing something with. Pocket Watch was uncomfortable using his psychic cloaking technique on so many ordinary people. There should not be any negative repercussions from using the technique on ordinary minds, at the current intensity, but Pocket Watch knew that the best way to be sure of that was to never use it on said minds. Ash and Gary eventually said their cheerful goodbyes, knowing that they would see each other the next day.

Now came the hardest part. Pocket Watch had to wait until no one was directly looking at Ash, as the boy wandered away from the crowd of parents collecting children, and then when he had the split second opportunity, enfold him in a self-perpetuating psychic cloak that functioned via ocular hypnosis to edit the information the brain received, in order to remove Ash from their vision, and use a mild memory suppressant technique combined with an avoidance technique so that nobody looked too closely either.

Pocket Watch and Luke had developed it together in their operations against Team Rocket. Most trainers with Psychic pokémon from that era had at least one cloaking technique, implemented through a wide variety of measures. It was said that Samuel Oak, the former Pokémon Champion, and his psychic pokémon had developed a cloaking technique so powerful that no one could break it from the outside. And if one was on the inside one would first have to deal with Oak and his pokémon before you could break it.

The moment came and Ash was veiled from the world. Pocket Watch waited for Ash to come to him before heading off into the forest that surrounded Pallet Town.

All that messing with people's minds was a headache. Why did he agree to do this again?

_It was the best day ever! _shouted Ash, smiling so widely that the top of his head seemed to be in danger of falling off.

Right.

* * *

><p>Poison Lance and Pocket Watch suffered a brief episode of unspecified heart problems when they learned that Ash had made friends with Gary Oak, the grandson of Professor Samuel Oak, the one person against the had absolutely no plan and no workable defense against.<p>

Prudence suggested that they should immediately either forbid Ash from associating with the boy or remove him from school and start over in Pewter City. But either action might spark the interest of Professor Oak, and he would send Ash off to an orphanage. But allowing Ash to remain in contact with the boy might mean that Gary would mention something about his new friend to the professor and then Oak would investigate and send Ash off to an orphanage... oh my oh my oh my.

These thoughts went through their heads in a split second, whirling about, and chasing each other in circles. Of course when Ash exclaimed that he couldn't wait to play with Gary again the next day the mattered was settled. Ash would continue to go to school as planned, unaware of the extreme stress he had caused the two pokémon in that moment.

Ash had been at school for several months before he first really learned about Pokémon Trainers. He knew a bit about humans and pokémon working together from the old war stories that Poison Lance told about the fight against Team Rocket, and about the older war. The terrible war that shattered the world. Human's and pokémon had fought together in both wars, side by side against other humans and pokémon, working together and sacrificing everything together.

But he had no clue about what Pokémon Trainers were supposed to do.

"What'd mean, catching pokémon?" Ash asked, horrified.

"I mean battling wild pokémon and then catching them in a pokéball" answered Gary.

"Kidnapping pokémon" speaked Ash in horror. He remembered something else Gary had said.

"And battling?" Ash asked, his voice going higher in horror.

"Yeah, having pokémon battles with other trainers" Gary replied, looking at Ash's horrified expression with confusion "How do you know so much about pokémon, but nothing about pokémon trainers?"

The bell rang, saving Ash from having to answer as the class was dismissed. Gary shouted and waved his goodbyes before dashing off.

Ash left the school in a stupor, not noticing anything, not even when Pocket Watch joined him. His mind was overloaded with what he had learned about the cruelty of mankind. Hunting down pokémon, stuffing them in a little ball, and then making them fight each other. Taking them from their families and homes and everything they knew, imprisoning them in a cruel little space for up to months at a time, and then only letting them out so that they could fight other prisoners. If that's what humans did, Ash didn't want to be human.

It was a wonder Poison Lance let him live, let alone raise a disgusting creature like himself.

Poison Lance was taken by surprise when he Pocket Watch had delivered the boy home that day. As soon as the human child had seen the weedle, Ash had immediately rushed over, dropped to his knees, grabbed the old bug in a hug, and started to sob and apologize.

_What is this about Ash? _asked Poison Lance.

_I'm human! I'm so sorry, sorry, sorry sorry _Ash sobbed into the pokémon. His back heaved with the force of the sobs, and he wailed his apologies in the same grief stricken manner he had wailed several years ago when the two had first met, and how he wailed during the many nights he suffered nightmares. The boy's heart had been broken, it seemed.

It was a horrible sensation that Ash felt. To know that your own species did such horrible things to the beings that had been so kind to you. Ash's guilt was like a red hot pound of lead in his stomach, causing his insides to burn, boil, and churn. He wanted to vomit, even as grief ravaged his heart, like a miniature tiger that had found a way inside his chest, shredding and tearing his insides. It was a viscous storm of emotions, like the clash of two furious weather gods. The boy's arms and legs shook, weakened both from grief, and by the fact that Ash could no longer care about his own body. The child was trying to leave his body and free the world from the stain that his mere presence must cause. His parents must have been party to the same atrocities, Ash realized, and maybe had even enslaved Marp. His first friend must have suffered such horrible things from his parents.

Ash truly wanted to die in that moment, a feeling indescribable to those that have not truly felt it, and a feeling that no one should have to endure, least of all a child under eight years of age.

_What is wrong with being human? _asked Poison Lance, _I find that humans are no worse than weedles-_

_Weedles don't, Weedles don't-,_ Ash sobbed_ Weedles don't kidnap pokémon and make them fight each other_ he finished with a wail.

Poison Lance blinked in surprise. It seemed like his predictions about what would happen when Ash first learned about pokémon trainers was incorrect.

The weedle nuzzled the human's shoulder for a moment and then gently spoke.

_I don't think you have the whole story Ash_

_What? _sniffed Ash, surprised at the statement.

_I take it that you had heard about Pokémon Trainers then._

Ash sniffed some more. _Gary told me a bit about them before the bell rung._

_A pity that he did not tell you more then, _the weedle shook his head._ I will tell you a bit about Pokémon Trainers then. I will start with my own trainer, Lucas._

_Luke was a pokémon trainer! _Ash exclaimed.

_Yes, he was. Maybe I should start with how Pokémon are captured instead. Hush Ash, let me talk for a bit._

The human child sat down and nodded, wiping tears from his eyes.

_Now, for the most part, pokémon who get captured implicitly agree to be, _the weedle began._ How is this, you ask of me with your face alone. It is simple. We pokémon generally can tell who a pokémon trainer is. Most humans who are not pokémon trainers do not walk the lands, they take various forms of public transportation. If one sees a human walking in a wild area, one can generally assume that they are a pokémon trainer._

_So when we confront the human, we know that we must accept the possibility of being captured. Many pokémon confront the trainer with that end in mind. Why would we confront them, this question I know you are pondering. Many times it is because we want to test ourselves against trained pokémon, to compare our strength to their strength. You have witnessed us battling here in the forest, improving ourselves through these engagements. True the fights are short and often times not very intense, and we do not consider the altercations between predator and prey to be battles, although avoiding starvation or being consumed is often a motivation for these battles._

_Fighting trained pokémon can teach us a lot about fighting, including new moves. And trained pokémon are often stronger than wild pokémon, so wildllings wish to measure their power against such opponents. But we also know that if we do so the trainer might decide to catch. If we do not wish to be captured we can easily flee and it is incredibly difficult to capture most fleeing pokémon. Those that would have a hard time fleeing are generally both big enough and powerful enough that it is incredibly difficult to capture them in any case. Several types move in herds, or flocks, or other groups to avoid capture, leaving the groups only when they are ready to pay the price. And sometimes wildlings confront trainers to be captured._

_I know that you want to know why we would submit to the indignity of being captured by humans, and the answer is simple: to get stronger. Under the guidance of a human trainer pokémon can gain enormous strength, such as my own power. What is more, is that we can learn new techniques from under their direction.._

_There is another benefit to being captured, one that both Lucas and your parents understood very much._

_A captured pokémon gains new friends, great friends, in the form of the trainer and their team. Something most of us would not trade for all the power in the universe._

_But we make you fight _said Ash, calming down a bit, _and keep you in tiny balls_.

_We want to battle, _the weedle replied._ To test our mettle against other trained pokémon and grow stronger from it. And as for the pokeballs, we rest in them, in the form of energy. There is nothing wrong with it._

The old bug nuzzled the boy.

_We Pokémon like humans, for the most part. That is the reason we assist them in other tasks. That is why we lend them our strength to build their cities, to heal the sick, to tame the lands. They are our friends and we help them as friends do. And they help us grow stronger as friends do. I worked with Lucas during the fight with Team Rocket and in other dangerous situations for the same reason that Pocket Watch aids us now._

_Lucas was my friend and my only regret during my many years with him was that I could not spend many more with him._

_Do not apologize for your kind Ash. It is true that there are humans who do nothing but harm to pokémon and the world on the planet, but there are some pokémon who do likewise. But I do not hold those few evil examples against any other human or pokémon._

_And even if evil made up the majority of human action, I say this now, Ash Ketchum, you are not evil. When I took you in I knew that you were a kind child that cared about pokémon, even if you could barely form the words to express the sentiment._

_Ash, if you remain true to yourself, you will never need to bow your head in shame, nor in guilt._

_And if something happens, and you stray from your true self, I tell you now my boy, that I will never regret taking you in._

Ash wailed and hugged the old bug once more, crying again.

_I will not tell you not to weep_ said Poison Lance nuzzling the child, _for as a favorite book of Luke's once said "Not all tears are evil". But I would have you smile._

And Ash did smile, even as he wept.

* * *

><p>The rest of the autumn continued into winter without any more major incidents. True to the core of Poison Lance's prediction, once Ash had calmed down he had decided to be a Pokémon Trainer, declaring that he would be the best like no one ever was.<p>

Pocket Watch pulled a few mental strings to get Ash some extra reading lessons and learning help. The boy needed to be able to read independently after this year was completed, so that he could educate himself from thereon out. Ash's speech therapy was making major progress, if things continued as they were going he would be able to speak as well as his peers. He would still need to occasionally practice talking to people, but Pocket Watch and Poison Lance had figured out a few plans to deal with that problem.

Ash and Gary continued to be good friends, occasionally staying after school together and going to the park to play together.

Winter came and the earth died leaving only a mild grey emptiness in the forest that was occasionally covered in white. A raticate finally managed to steal some winter clothes for Ash, saving Pocket Watch and Poison Lance a great deal of effort. Ash had taken to teaching Pocket Watch how to read and write himself. Poison Lance knew that teaching someone something helped the teacher to master the subject as well, and Pocket Watch had always expressed an interest in the whole 'reading and writing' thing.

Winter was reaching its apex when Ash mentioned to Poison Lance that he wanted to visit the site of his old home, presenting the request with a serious expression on his young face.

_What brought this on? _Inquired Poison Lance.

_It's just something I heard about at school, something about a Winter Solstice holiday_, Ash answered._ I just want to visit the remains of the house before I eat my evening meal._

Winter Solstice holidays? Oh, realized the weedle. Ash wanted to spend some time with his departed human family before coming back into the forest for the holiday dinner... and another realization hit the weedle, a heartwarming one that he felt no need to voice, even in the privacy of his own head.

_Indeed. I should have thought about it before. By the way, the name of the holiday in question is Christmas._

* * *

><p>Everything was covered in white, fluffy, wet snow. It was the favorite kind of snow for children everywhere, perfect for allowing their imaginations to run wild as they mad structures on the white pallet of the world or burn some energy in an energetic, ferocious, mock battle that resulted in a nice cup of hot chocolate. Stars shone overhead on this christmas night, and the moon returned the light of the sun so that the night was of the darkest blue rather than purely black.<p>

No wind howled, no snow fell, and no cloud obscured the sky. It was a still night and a peaceful one. The air tasted crisp and cold to Ash as he walked into the clearing with the ruined house and the gravestones, Poison Lance erasing his footprints behind him.

Broken beams, boards, shattered walls, and rubble, that would have appeared charcoal black during most other times of the year, were white on that particular night, almost gently shining in the light of the moon.

With Poison Lance respectfully hanging back in the forest, the human child approached his parents and his first friends.

He knelt by the pokémon plot first, his fingers brushing over the symbols on the stones to help him read the characters. He found the stone he was looking for.

"Marp" Ash quietly spoke, hot tears welling up behind his eyes. "I miss Marp, Okay Marp?"

He stood up and then walked over to the human plot. He felt out the characters on the middle stone.

"Hi me" he said, a brief snort of humor cutting through the grief.

Then he felt the other two headstones and fell to his hands and knees. Hot tears spilled out of his eyes and onto the snow, leaving little dimples in the whiteness of the world.

Ash clutched the two headstones in a desperate hug.

"Momma! Dadda!" he sobbed.

* * *

><p>Samuel Oak was walking over to the ruins of the Ketchum house, as he did before each Christmas dinner, to put fresh flowers on all of the graves. Samuel Oak had done this every winter since their deaths. It was his self-imposed penance; either for not saving his friend Delia Ketchum and her family or, for not doing more during the aftermath of the Great War and the fight against the Unification Alliance that followed. Actions that might have left the post war villains too weak to ever think of doing something like this.<p>

For the sake of the Firsts, he had been the Pokémon Champion of Kanto in his day. Team Rocket and various other evil teams had quailed at the mere mention of his name. What was more, he and his team had crushed many of their operations by themselves. And then he had retired and become a pokémon researcher. His only regret in that decision was that he had not made sure that all of the groups like Team Rocket had been purged from Kanto, and the rest of the allied regions, first.

If he had done so then the Ketchums would still be alive. Or if he had put up some security measures around Pallet Town, rather than relying on his reputation and the relative peace of the region to keep the people the safe. Even if he had just wandered by sometime that night, he could have saved their son Ash.

They hadn't even been able to find the boy's body. They had found traces of his presence along the trail that Mareep had fled down, but not the body. They had found some small traces of blood by the destroyed section of forest. Most likely the body had been incinerated along with the landscape.

It was for that reason he had decided to increase the number of potential trainers he supplied with their first pokémon, many of whom he had to rely on second hand information to confirm that they would make good trainer material, rather than his usual more personal methods. The League could use a new generation of strong Pokémon Trainers to swell their ranks and help them with this magnificent world that they must defend. To put a stop to things like Team Rocket and help to rebuild the world shattered by the terrible war. So that nothing like the Ketchums could happen again.

He looked at the sky for a moment and then approached the gravestones. The pokémon professor sighed. He had seen so much during his long life, too much. He couldn't even life out his twilight years in peace. He looked down at the row of graves. Nobody ever came here anymore, the rest of the community had moved on. It was only Professor Oak who left flowers and footprints...

No, there were footprints in the snow, from human feet encased in some sort of slipper. Small ones that belonged to a child that could be no older than six or seven. There were no adult footprints accompanying them.

There were also larger disturbances that looked like the child had kneeled, by the graves of one of the pokémon, Mr. Ketchum, and Mrs. Ketchum. But none by Ash's grave.

Oak's heart jumped into his mouth at the sudden hopeful thought that flashed through his mind. But he suppressed it with a sigh. Ash couldn't be alive. The investigation would have turned up some signs. Most likely it had been some child that had known the Ketchums on a winter walk. Oak traced the footprints back to the edge of the clearing, where they suddenly stopped. There was no trace of the child's passage.

Had it been a living youth that had stopped by the graves, and then suddenly vanished? Or had it been the wanderings of the restless spirit of a little boy who had been denied a proper burial, who wept for the parents that he was still separated from on the other side of life?

Oak had seen enough things during his wanderings to know that the last was a possibility. If it was true than it meant that he had failed the Ketchums in yet another way.

Maybe he should give Agatha a call...

* * *

><p>The rest of the night had not gone all unwell for Ash Ketchum, after Poison Lance had taken him back via the treetops, to keep the boy warm . It turns out that Poison Lance had asked the local pokémon to visit grocery stores, after they had closed early for the day. Back at the public clearing, there were mounds of still warm human food. Ash had his first official dinner, and the woes of the day were lost in the merriment.<p>

Winter passed, as it always did, and the earth was reborn in the genesis that was spring. The forest became green again, as life returned. School continued to go as it had before, and Ash, with the extra help from his extra reading lessons, and from teaching Pocket Watch, was able to attain sufficient proficiency in the arts of reading and writing by the time spring began to turn to summer.

With the school year ending, Poison Lance told Ash to inform his classmates that he would be moving come summer, and would not return the next year.

"What'd you mean you won't be here next year?" Gary had asked him heatedly, "you're my friend, you can't leave."

"My parents are moving" replied Ash.

"You can stay with me then" said Gary "my grandpa won't mind."

"I think my parents would, though"

Gary seemed bummed out by this reply.

"But then we can't get pokémon together when we turn eleven if you're gone"

"I'll come" said Ash earnestly. "I'll come back and then we can work on being the best pokémon trainers ever!"

"You better" replied Gary.

"I will! And then we'll get our pokémon and have lots of adventures and do all sorts of cool things!"

"Aaron, lets not be just Pokémon trainers. Let's become Pokémon Masters!"

Ash blinked, confused.

"What's that?"

Gary put his face into his palm.

* * *

><p>AN: Changed a bit, as re-readers will notice.<p>

For new readers, please leave reviews about what I'm doing wrong. If you decide to quit reading this fic please leave a review telling me why please.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon

AN: As of 12/15/2013 this chapter has been touched up.

And again as of 5/15/2015

* * *

><p>Deep in the forests around Pallet Town a boy reading a book sat against a tree, under an opening in the forest canopy which let a beam of golden down to illuminate the area and the text.<p>

_Whatcha reading? _A pidgey asked him from the branches above.

_A book on storms. It's pretty interesting stuff _replied Ash Ketchum _Do you know how lightning really works? It turns out that-_

_It's okay, _the bird pokémon quickly interrupted. _I happen to treasure my ignorance about lightning and electricity._

_Flying types_, sighed Ash dismissively.

_What's wrong with us flying types, _said the Pidgey, glaring down at the human.

_Nothing, _returned Ash Ketchum, rolling his eyes beneath the brim of his hat.

It had been three years since Ash had gone to school. He had grown a few feet, but was still slightly short and scrawny for a boy his age, whatever that age was. Nobody was sure when his birthday fell; those who would have known for sure were either dead or couldn't be contacted.

Poison Lance had been worried that Ash was malnourished during those years, but Ash had requested a book on the subject from Pocket Watch who had brought it on his annual visit. The information within indicated that he was fine.

Pocket Watch had decided that it had been wrong to lose touch with an old friend for so long and had taken to visiting each of his old comrades once a year. And ever since Ash had taught him how to read and write, the hypno always had his nose in a (stolen) book of some sort. When he came to Pallet Town he always gave a pile of volumes to Ash, to supplement the material he was getting from pokémon scrounging dumpsters. And because of Pocket Watch's ability to read, he was the only pokémon to whom he could submit requests.

_Anyway, why you readin a book on storms and stuff? _inquired the Pidgey. _What good's that gonna do you?_

_Well it's cool to know, and you never know when any information can come in handy, _answered Ash. _I mean that's what we humans are good at, knowing things._

_Yeah, but I still don't see how knowing how lightning strikes will help. Everyone already knows enough about lighting. You get low and stay away from the tall trees. Anything else is disturbing and unnecessary._

_Your electric weakness really bothers you doesn't it, _Ash replied.

_Shut it human. Aren't you supposed to be in Pallet Town anyway?_ Pidgey asked, preening under a wing.

_Nah. Oak's giving the new trainers their pokemon tomorrow. Poison Lance didn't want to set out just yet, _Ash told the flying type_._

_Why's Poison Lance going? Couldn't you two just meet up by Viridian city after you get your pokemon?_

_There's been a flock of Spearows causing trouble down by Pallet Town and there might be a relatively powerful Fearow involved. Poison Lance is going to see me off then go deal with them. I think he just wants me to get there safely, _Ash said with a shrug_._

_Actually, _continued Ash looking up through the hole in the canopy to gauge the position of the sun in the sky, _I think it's about the time that Poison Lance wanted us to leave at. I should go find him now. See ya later Pidgey._

_Probably not anytime soon Mr. __Pokémon_ _Trainer. Just make sure that you don't forget about us Pallet __pokémon_ _when you become a big shot __Pokémon_ _Master. _Pidgey hopped off of the branch and onto Ash's shoulder to briefly nuzzle the human boy. _I think I can say for everyone, it was a pleasure to have you._

_And I know I can speak on behalf of myself when I say it was a pleasure to be here, _replied Ash. He awkwardly tried to hug the bird pokemon on his shoulder and failed. _Try not to get eaten while I'm gone._

_Hey, I'm not Pichu. I'm far more observant,_ Pidgey laughed and then took off into the blue sky.

* * *

><p><em>My boy, I question the wisdom of allowing you to undertake a long and perilous journey if your sense of direction is so poor<em>, grumbled Poison Lance from atop Ash's read and white hat, which sat on top of Ash's head.

_Well it wasn't my fault that tree had fallen down. Totally screwed up the landmarks, _replied Ash, putting his hands, clad in black and green tip-less gloves, into the pockets of his blue jacket. The undergrowth rustled against his blue jean, and his red and white shoes left their mark in the dirt.

_You best have mastered the ability to read a map if that is all that it takes to ruin your ability to use landmarks,_ Poison Lance remarked_. Now remember, Professor Oak will give you your __pokédex_ _and some __pokéballs__ along with your first __pokémon__, so you don't have to worry about getting those. Stick to your story of your parents moving to the Vermilion City outskirts, don't offer up any information if you can help it, and if Professor Oak gets too nosy just say that your parent's would not like you to talk about it._

_Right _replied Ash, nodding.

_Now remember everything I told you about being with other humans._

_If I see something strange I should just smile and nod. _Ash rolled his eyes as he spoke_. Human mating is different than pokemon mating, much stranger, and I should not bring it up at all. Never tell anyone but pokemon my real name, and never let anyone know that I can understand pokemon. Do I have to say all the rest?_

_No, I believe that will suffice. Are you excited?_

_Of course! I'm off to see the world, meet new beings, and help pokemon become stronger. I'm gonna be the best Pokemon Master ever! _Ash shouted_. _The boy didn't mention how much going to a place where friends didn't eat friends, something that happened even in the relatively peaceful area under Poison Lance's watch, was contributing to his excitement. Most of his memories of time in the forest were good, but there were some things he would like to leave behind.

_Very good. I hope that you will remember to stop back here on occasion. _Poison Lance said to his ward_._

_Whenever I'm in the area. I wouldn't forget to visit_, Ash reassured his guardian.

_Very well. Now- I thought we already had passed that tree._

* * *

><p>It took the duo longer than expected to reach the outskirts of Pallet Town, and as a consequence Ash did not get to sleep as early as he needed to. As a result, he awoke to the sun shining brightly, high in the sky.<p>

"Shit!" he swore as he realized that he was going to be late. He looked around for his backpack (filled with goods stolen by pokemon) and his hat, rushing to make up for time lost sleeping. The commotion woke Poison Lance, who had been sleeping nearby. The weedle looked up.

_You need to hurry, I doubt Oak will be too pleased with you arriving late, _the old poison type commented_._

_I know, I know. I'm hurrying, I'm hurrying._

Ash found his backpack, slung it on, spotted his hat, flipped it onto his head, and then turned to Poison Lance. Poison Lance looked at the boy for a silent moment.

_This is goodbye my boy_, the old bug said softly, _I have looked after you for seven years and gave all of the little that I could give you. I hope that you fare well on your journey and are successful in becoming the great pokémon trainer that you are meant to be. May you meet many new friends, both human and pokémon, and sample the wonders of the world. Remember to stay true to yourself and hold your head with pride._

_You are Ash Ketchum, sometimes known as Aaron Autumns, and you will be a great man. You will-_ the Weedle choked up here - _You will- you will be missed here in the forest._

Ash dropped down to his knees to embrace the distraught Weedle.

_I'll miss you too, you old bug. And you gave me lots of things, more than enough._

Poison Lance nuzzled the boy. _Never doubt that you will always be in both my thoughts and the thoughts of the Pallet pokemon. We send our hopes and goodwill with you._

They stayed that way for a moment, Ash hugging the Weedle and Poison Lance nuzzling the boy.

_It is time for you to go now. You are late enough as it is,_ said Poison Lance, withdrawing from the embrace. Ash nodded and started to dash off, towards Oak. The boy stopped for a moment and turned around.

_Goodbye Poison Lance! I'll send news back with Pocket Watch if I see him! _he called back to the pokémonwho had raised him.

_Goodbye Ash Ketchum, _returned Poison Lance solemnly. The boy turned back around and started to run once more towards his future. Poison Lance watched him go, the old pokémon'sheart heavy with sorry, made bittersweet by fierce pride. Something glittered in his black eye.

As he ran Ash had to keep wiping his eyes. In time his gloves grew damp and the occasionally drop of salty water rolled onto his lips.

* * *

><p>It was a beautiful late morning in Pallet town. Bright blue skies covered the little town and everything seemed to be awash in the bright yellow light of the sun, making all the various colors of the town, the ones it was named for, stand out all the more intensely. From the red roofs of the various small collections of houses, to the fields of short green grass, and the waving fields of yellow green grass, the brown dirt paths, and the white buildings that were Oak labs, everything seemed to stand out on that brilliant day.<p>

It was a fine day to start his journey. Ash had been dreaming about this day ever since he had left school. To travel the world with a team of your friends, seeing all the wonderful places that Poison Lance and Pocket Watch had told stories about.

Discovering new places, new peoples, and new pokémon to include in the stories he would tell others. Training with his pokémon friends and helping them to achieve greater and greater strength. And then with that strength, together they would do many great deeds. Standing together, victorious in multitudes of battles with worthy opponents, triumphantly looking back at the path they had walked together. Aiding others whenever danger threatened, like in the stories of Poison Lance and Luke.

And his team wouldn't try to eat each other. Always a plus when friends didn't try and consume friends.

Ash knew that this journey was also an opportunity to learn more about his own species, a chance to covertly acquire the knowledge that fate had denied him. He was sick of not getting to experience those little joys and comforts that everyone else took for granted, like being able to sleep in a bed, or eat hot food regularly. If the wild pokémon had not gotten a book on survival in their random scavenges he would have not learned how to set up and light fires and how to cook his food. He wanted to learn how to ride a bike, and what it was like to ride in a car, or see a movie, or go to a club of some sort, any sort.

Ash wanted to be a pokémon trainer, to see all those things, learn all those things, do all those deeds, and help all those people, so badly that over the course of the last month he had honestly thought that he would burst from anticipation. Now he burned with anticipation instead, as he raced towards Oak labs. Ash's heart blazed as he ran, ignoring exhaustion in his excitement and desire.

* * *

><p>When Ash arrived at Oak labs, panting and out of breath, he discovered that there was a large crowd already there. He could hear some sort of chant, a lot of cheering, and what seemed to be someone's name. Curious, Ash weaved and shoved his way through the crowd (belatedly remembering Poison Lance's instructions on etiquette) until he reached the front. What he saw there made him wonder just how ignorant of his own species he was.<p>

Gary stood before the crowd, a pokéball held high, with a bunch of cheerleaders chanted his praises.

The black eyed boy seemed very similar to his past self, the one Ash had known in first grade. The only (physical) difference was height. Of course from what Ash was hearing, he had undergone some dramatic mental changes. Poison Lance had warned them that people and pokémon changed over time, and that it was easiest to see this after being apart for a long period. He also warned the human, that sometimes he would have to reforge old friendships, and to temper the pain in his heart at the decay of the relationship with hope for the renewal.

Since Gary had become... crazy? No, this was probably a normal human thing. Well, Ash would have to find some time to become his friend again. He was looking forward to it actually, from what little experience that he had, Ash found that becoming friends was a great process in and of itself.

"-And when I become a Pokémon Master, I will make sure that the name of Pallet Town is known far and wide!" Gary finished, shouting, to the approval of the crowd. The auburn haired boy then noticed the raven haired boy in front.

"Aaron, you made it! I almost thought you weren't coming" he said, reproachfully.

"Sorry, overslept" Ash replied, still catching his breath. He had run all the way after all.

"Well now that you're here, my grand quest can begin. My friend shall get his pokémon from my grandfather and then he may start his journey; as my rival!"

Noticing Ash's stunned gaze, Gary continued "For, you see my friend, one day I realized that if we are both to become Pokemon Masters, we must have someone to compete with, someone to constantly measure ourselves against, someone always pushing us onward and being driven onward by ourselves. It was then that I knew, that the best way for us to achieve our dream, was for the two of us to become rivals!"

The cheerleaders, fittingly enough, cheered at this, and started another routine. The crowd joined the cheer.

Ash had no clue what was going on. Poison Lance's advice came back to him, and he started to smile and nod. Just smile and nod and everything will be alright.

"So my friend, my rival, hurry and get your pokémon and start your journey. We must push each other to greater and greater heights, and become the best like no one ever was!" With that Gary turned dramatically (somehow) and started to head towards Viridian City. He turned to look back at Ash. "Next time we meet, we shall battle as great Pokemon Trainers!"

Smile and nod, smile and nod, smile and nod.

"I see that you understand my friend! I look forward to our next meeting!" And with that Gary departed, cheerleaders following him.

Smile and nod, smile and nod, smile and nod- oh it was over.

Okay, while he had been away Gary had evidently... evolved? Something had happened to his friend, and Ash was not sure if it was good, or bad, or just some normal human thing. This journey was going to be than he had anticipated if more humans acted like that.

Would other trainers think he was weird for not having a team of cheerleaders? Or was than an optional thing? He would have to remember to ask about that.

Still, one problem was preemptively solved. He and Gary had never had discussed how they would be going about becoming pokémon masters, and during the years Ash had to spend educating himself the human child realized that if the method they employed involved traveling together, then it would take a good deal of effort to conceal Ash's ability to understand pokémon. Although disappointed that he and his friend would not be spending more time together, Ash was glad that he would never have to deal with the problem.

Ash shook his head as he rushed towards the Oak Labs. The time for such musing was over. It was time for him to meet his very first pokémon!

* * *

><p>Oak sighed and leaned against the fence gate as he went over the list of trainers that had been registered to receive their first pokémon from him that day. It was tiring to see all the names he did not recognize on the list.<p>

It was a far cry from the old days when it was only children that he knew well that received pokémon from him. When he could sleep soundly, knowing that the young trainers were taking good care of the pokémon. He still required check-ins from the trainers during the beginnings of their journeys, but other than that he never heard from half of them again. Statistically speaking, it was far more likely now that at least one of his pokémon had ended up being abused by its trainer under this new system, while he remained unaware. But the League needed more trainers and Oak was doing his part.

Even if it killed his heart.

Looking over the list, he noticed a no-show. One Aaron Autumns, a child that Gary had recommended. A friend of his from first grade, who moved away to some other city but was due to return to Pallet town. Why did he not show? Lose his nerve at the last minute? Lost?

Or, Oak thought turning around when he heard the sounds of running behind him, perhaps he overslept. A boy in a red and white hat, blue jacket, and jeans slid to a stop in front of him, kicking up a bit of dust in the process.

After the boy had finished panting, he looked up and Professor Oak was struck with the strange notion that he was seeing a ghost. There was something about his gold-brown eyes that seemed hauntingly familiar. The old man just could not place it.

"Professor Oak?" the boy asked him, immediately, panting from exertion.

"In person" replied the Pokemon Professor. "And I'm guessing that you're Aaron Autumns?"

"Yeah" answered the boy, between pants "sorry I'm late, but there was some delays on the way last night and I didn't get to sleep as soon as I wanted and -"

"It's alright kid" reassured the old man, "I've still got a pokémon left for you. But I must warn you, it's a fresh catch and -"

"It's okay, I'll take it no matter what!" interjected Ash called Aaron.

"Very well" sighed Professor Oak. "Come with me."

* * *

><p>A single pokéball sat in the slot on green top of the round machine. Ash stared at it. Inside there was his first pokémon, or rather what would be his first pokémon. His first of many new friends.<p>

What would it be? A green and gruff bulbasuar with a kind heart? A bubbly and energetic squirtle? A hot headed and loyal charamander? Or maybe a fluffy eevee, Ash had heard that they were occasionally given as starter pokémon.

"Why don't you open it" suggested Oak, watching in amusement as the boy in front of him gazed reverently at the pokémon before him. It was not a new reaction from a trainer to be, but it was an uncommon one.

Ash nodded, and even his breathing trembled as he reached forward. His legs went weak and he collapsed against the table, still bringing his hands towards the pokéball.

"Good grief, you're beyond excited, aren't you kid" spoke Oak, grinning. "Just open it and meet your pokémon."

There was a flash and white energy flowed out of the pokéball and coalesced on the table. White light faded, and before the human child stood a yellow, slightly chubby, red checked, zig-zaged tailed, brown striped, short, pikachu.

The first thing that Pikachu ever said to Ash was: _Oh, great you're the idiot I'm stuck with._

The only thing that Oak heard was the pokémon softly say its name.

Ash of course understood, what the pokémon had said, but couldn't let Oak now.

"Howdy! Aren't you the cutest little thing!" Ash stated with a large smile.

_And aren't you just the stupidest thing, _the pikachu said, rolling its eyes.

"Right back atcha little buddy" said Ash still smiling.

_Oh, you got lucky human. And who you calling little!_

"Aren't you the cutest little pikachu, aren't you now!" Ash's smile grew wider.

_Grrr. I should get you for that._

"Careful" warned Oak, "he has an electric personality"

_What a shocking pun, _the electric type rolled its eyes again.

"What a shocking pun" Ash said to the professor.

_Hey, you stole that from me! _Pikachu's ears shot up and he pointed accusingly._ No actually you couldn't have. You're too stupid to have._

_"_Right back atcha again little buddy!" said Ash smiling widely, eyes closed.

_Okay, that was an annoying coincidence, _Pikachu narrowed his eyes._ Good grief, if I didn't know better I'd swear that you could understand me... wait, I recognize you! You're that forest kid aren't you! And you can understand everything I'm saying!_

_"_Yep, aren't you the most wonderful, adorable Pikachu in the whole world" said Ash, picking up the pokémon.

_Flattery will get _**you**_ nowhere_**, **Pikachu said with a glare. _Now for those earlier comments..._

Lightning flared from the little pokémon into Ash, giving him a nasty shock and fizzling his hair.

"And he has the brightest smile" Oak punned, "that I've ever seen."

"Now" the professor continued, "you'll need these on your journey." He held out both his hands, a slim red object sat in one, and in the other sat a pile of miniaturized pokéball. "A pokédex and some pokéballs. The pokédex contains most of our current knowledge on the different types of pokémon and handles several League functions for trainers automatically, including identification. You'll have to fill out the registration info and choose your preferences at some point. And pokéballs, as you are aware are for catching new pokémon."

_Kid, don't put me down yet_, Pikachu told Ash, as the boy reached for the pokédex and pokéballs. Ash complied, and when he and Oak touched, Pikachu shocked them both.

_That's for the wire thing you old fart! They tasted great and you had to go ruin it!_

* * *

><p><em>So... what now?<em>

Ash and Pikachu sat under a tree in an open field between Pallet town and Viridian city. Ash had never been in this field before, it was too open and exposed for Poison Lance's comfort. A bunch of Pidgey's aimlessly wandered about, some occasionally giving Ash a quick greeting.

_Umm... I train you to become super powerful. I mean isn't that what trainers do with their __pokémon__? _Ash answered Pikachu, rubbing the back of his head.

Pikachu started to laugh, falling over a tree root in the process.

_Oh, that was a good one, _said the mouse pokémon, looking up at Ash. _Oh wait, you were serious. That's even funnier._

_Oh, laugh it up fuzzball, _huffed Ash, crossing his arms.

_Sorry kid, but I really don't think you can help me there. Tell ya what, I'll zap a Caterpie for you and you can train that. And let me go._

_I can train you!_ Ash protested.

_Kid, I really doubt that. See that group of five leaves over there? _Pikachu gestured up at the tree_._

Ash turned his gaze to follow Pikachu's pointing limb. _Yeah._

Five tiny blasts of electricity soon followed, one after another. All five of the leaves fell down. In the center of each leaf there was a little smoking hole.

_Impressive _remarked Ash.

_Thank you, _Pikachu replied with a nod._ But as you can see my own effort is working quite nicely. I've been working on speed and accuracy, although my power's nothing to scoff at either. I'm very quick at setting up electric attacks. One day I hope to be known as the "Lightning Zapper!"_

_...Doesn't that-_

_Shut up, the name's still a work in progress, _Pikachu grumbled_. But as I said, I don't need you. I'm good on my own._

Ash thought quickly.

_What would you do if you were fighting a really powerful electric type, right now or in the near future, say a Raichu? _He asked the electric mouse.

_I'd zap em, _Pikachu answered instantly_._

_Your strategy for fighting a powerful raichu would be to use electric attacks against them?_

_I can take them._

Ash just looked at Pikachu.

_Shut up, _huffed the mouse, crossing his forelegs, accidentally mirroring Ash's posture. _Like you've got any better ideas._

_But I do, _responded the human. _I read a bit about raichus, plus Poison Lance and I discussed a bit about the pro's and con's of pokémon evolution. Do you know what a raichu's most common, non-type weakness is?_

_Their lackluster personalities? _Pikachu guessed_._

_Nope, their speed, well when they evolve early at least. _Ash explained._ You my fine yellow friend are much faster than most Raichus, and know more normal type attacks. You can use Agility, Quick Attack, and Swift, to run circles around your opponent while beating them senseless. Use Agility to dodge, Quick Attack to get in close and take them by surprise, something you would want to wait to start doing until after you dodge an attack that obscures you from their sight, and then Swift it hit them from far away when they're preparing for a Quick Attack. See, the thing is, most raichus evolve too early to learn those moves, and most of the time when you meet a raichu they won't know them._

_... that's actually a pretty good strategy,_ Pikachu admitted._ How'd an idiot like you come up with that?_

_You really have no respect for me, do you, _Ash asked_._

_Nope._

Ash sighed. _I'm sure that if I couldn't actually understand you that would've sounded unbearably cute._

_Well, as you said, I am an adorable pokemon, _Pikachu stated matter-of-factly_._

_Wouldn't I be too much of an idiot to recognize that, _Ash asked.

_Not really, even idiots can spot adorable pokemon. But thanks for admitting that you're an idiot!_

_ARRRGH _growled Ash.

_Hah, I'm good, _said Pikachu, doing a little dance.

_So how bout it? You coming with me? _Ash asked, his heart beating fast. He was really nervous about this. After the conversation with Pikachu, Ash had begun to think that maybe he would never find a pokémon that actually wanted to come with him. After all, he was not a very good human, he did not know most of the things other humans knew. Why would any pokémon want him, when there were better humans everywhere?

_Sure, _answered Pikachu, _you seem like you could actually be helpful. And I guess it would be fun to see new places. I haven't really got anything planned anyway, so I might as well. _And with that, he hopped on top of Ash's head.

The yellow pokémon would never understand just how much that answer meant to Ash.

_Well, let's get going! _Pikachu called out the order imperiously from atop Ash, pointing toward Viridian City.

_Again, this would probably seem unbearably cute if I couldn't understand you, _Ash sighed.

_Ignorance is bliss Ash, _Pikachu patted the top of the humans head.

_Speaking of ignorance, I've been reading about the physics behind electricity, and I've got some questions about how you use electric attacks._

* * *

><p>Elsewhere, a red haired girl in a pair of short jeans shorts, red suspenders, and a yellow tank top sat by a river, fishing. Her bike and backpack lay a short distance away.<p>

She had received some tips about the area and they were turning out to be great. She had thought she had glimpsed a gyarados earlier, but she had put it down to her imagination. There was no way that a gyarados would be living in a little river like this one.

Of course if there had actually been one, she would have had to leave the area. No need to go looking for trouble. But that was the nice thing about the area around Pallet Town. There did not seem to be anything causing trouble.

She reeled in her line so that she could recast near a promising looking log. However she lost her balance when swinging the rod back and fell backwards. Her lure went flying off into the forest, and the girl heard a meaty sounding thud.

"Crap" she said. "Are you okay in there, whoever you are? I didn't hurt you, did I?"

The only response was one word, a word growled angrily.

"Feeeaaroow!"

* * *

><p><em>Looks like it's going to rain<em>, remarked Ash to Pikachu, _want to find shelter?_

_Actually it looks like a thunderstorm's brewing, _Pikachu said, looking up at the clouds._ Nah let's keep going. Hopefully we'll see some good lightning along the way._

_I guess you electric types like thunderstorms, _Ash commented_._

_A bit idiot. They're nice and unlike most other __pokémon__, we don't have to really worry about the lightning._ Pikachu then grinned. _But what's really fun is the rain. With it I can shock all the things! _He emphasized his last point with a tiny shock to the back of Ash's neck.

_Ouch!_

_That reminds me, why did you act like you couldn't understand me back at the old guy's place,_ Pikachu asked Ash, bending over so that his upside down head hung under the brim of Ash's cap and the pokémon could look the human in the eye.

_Poison Lance warned me about using letting people know, _Ash informed the pokémon._ There are plenty of bad folk out there who might want to force me to do things for them. It could also alert the people who attacked my home that a trainer from the Pallet-Viridian area was raised by __pokémon_ _and they could come looking for me. So I'm supposed to keep it a secret from every human._

_Makes sense. But what about other __pokémon__? _Pikachu asked, still keeping eye contact_._

_Oh I can tell_ _them _answered Ash, _it's not like there are any __pokémon_ _who can talk like humans out there. And if there are other humans who can understand __pokémon_ _out there, there's no way they'd be working with any villains._

_Fair enough. By the way, why didn't you try and catch any of the pidgey's back there?_

_They were just hanging about me. They didn't really want to be caught. _Ash answered_._

_Neither did I, and you insisted that I go with you, _Pikachu pointed out.

_You were bothering humans, you had it coming. Besides you're _my _first pokemon._

_And you're _my _first idiot. Unlike you I hope my collection does not grow._

* * *

><p>Sometime later the duo were traveling down a path by a forest. The skies above were dark and grey, promising both rain and electric fury. One could feel the storm in the air, the temperature dropped and the air felt light. Wind picked up, blowing stray leaves and dust across the path.<p>

_It's going to be some storm, _remarked Ash. Pikachu did not respond. Instead he was looking intently into the forest, cocking his head and twitching his ear.

_What is it?_ Ash inquired.

_Ssssh, _Pikachu put a paw to his lips._ It sounds like, crashing and flapping...? That's weird. It's getting louder. In fact I think we should take a couple steps back and to the left very soon._

Ash complied with the suggestion and as soon as he did so something burst out of the forest. The something split into two, one hitting a tree on the other side of the path with a metallic clang and the other hitting the ground with a pained grunt.

One half was a bike. The other half was a red haired girl who was currently trying to curl up into a fetal position. Scratches and wounds covered her arms and legs, with bits of blood leaking out here and there. Her clothes were slightly torn in places and there were some nasty looking bruises on her lower back. Her backpack was in a similar condition and Ash could see that a pokéball had fallen out. The device looked damaged, and from what little Ash knew about pokéball, he didn't think that she could release her pokémon without getting the devices repaired.

_Is she alive? _Pikachu whispered the question to Ash, as the human boy knelt down to gently shake the girl and put the pokéball back in her backpack.

_I think that flapping sound is getting louder, _Pikachu warned, his voice taking on an urgent tone.

"She's alive" announced Ash, "what happened Miss...?"

The girl groaned, her green eyes opening and looking into Ash's golden brown eyes.

"Get out of here" she moaned, trying to sit up "they're still coming. I'll try and stall them. Run away, please just run..."

And with that she fell back down.

_Like hell I'm leaving anybody, _Ash said as he scooped her up, cradling the red haired girl and her backpack in his arms. She was surprisingly light, Ash found as he stood up.

_That flapping is getting real close now! _A nervous Pikachu said. _I think it's time we got out of here idiot!_

_I'm on it! _Ash glanced once at the bike, cursing his lack of riding ability, and then with the girl in his arms, and the Pikachu on his head, he sprinted down the path.

Behind him a cacophony of flapping, bird calls, curses, taunts, and shouting erupted from the forest. Like a bat swarm from hell, a flock of spearows burst from between trees and through bushes by the edge of the path.

_There she is! That boy has her! Get im! _Moving like a single living creature the flock of spearows wheeled about and began to pursue Ash.

_Well, shit _said Pikachu looking back.

_These must be the spearows that have been making trouble. Pikachu keep an eye on them, warn me when one comes at me._

The flock took up a position above Ash; had it been sunny the size of their flock would have been enough to surround him in darkness.

A couple spearows detached from the flock and dived straight down towards Ash, their hard wicked beaks aimed to tear into soft human flesh, their talons eager to sink into their victims.

_From above, _shouted Pikachu, _I'm going to try and pick some off._

Like a small preview of the light show promised by the storm lightning flickered up from Ash. Tendrils of electric energy slammed into the diving pokémon, sending them corkscrewing out of control, stopping some dead in the sky, and causing others to simply fall to the earth unconscious. A few managed to dodge, moving as soon as they saw that Pikachu was preparing to attack. They broke off their attack and rejoined the main body of the pursuing flock.

_Got them all, _Pikachu stated proudly, standing tall on Ash's head and crossing his forelimbs_._

_Thanks you wonderful, adorable, powerful __pokémon, _Ash said, panting.

_What did I tell you about flattery? _

_You definitively earned that praise._

_True- wait, they're going to make another pass, _Pikachu dropped lower, back onto four limbs_._

This time a group of spearows broke off from the main flock and then split once more. They took up positions to the left and right of Ash and then prepared dived once more.

_Shit, I won't be able to get them all._

_That's okay, get as many as you can - _Ash grunted as he leaped over a tree stump. As soon as his feet returned to the earth he forced new life into his sprint, trying to get as much speed out of his body as he could. His life in the wild had given him above average athletic ability, and there was so much adrenaline in his system that he could have lost a limb and not noticed. He hoped that it would be enough to get the girl to safety.

_Get as many as you can, _Ash continued, _and then keep me informed about the positions of the rest. Oh, and get ready to hang on!_

At some unseen signal the two groups of bird pokemon dived. Once more Pikachu sent up a thorny, jagged, web of bright yellow electric energy. Spearows screeched in pain as they were blasted with a super effective attack. The group on the left was broken, and the spearows that avoided electric retribution rejoined the main flock.

But the group on the right continued their dive.

_They're on your right! _Pikachu shouted.

Ash had been waiting for the signal. He had let himself slow down slightly after he had given Pikachu instructions and when he heard the warning he let out a burst of speed and then jumped to the _right_ side of the path.

At the speeds he was running there was little chance of landing right. So Ash forced his energy into a roll when he hit ground, clutching the girl tightly to his chest, and making sure that he rolled over his shoulder so Pikachu would not get crushed.

Coming out of the roll, he heard Pikachu give a cry of surprise from on his head confirming his position; the girl and her backpack with her pokémon seemed no worse for the wear. Ash immediately took off once more.

He had guessed correctly, they were coming at him from an angle, and it would be harder to follow him if he went across that angle rather than away from it. Not a single spearow had hit the compact group.

_Nice move, but they're not gone yet, _Pikachu informed Ash, _now they're coming in low. _He let loose an electric bolt that slammed a spearow that was skimming just over the path into the ground. A different spearow took this as an opportunity to attack Ash's legs.

_Going for your legs! _Pikachu shouted.

At his pokémon's warning Ash curled both legs up towards his chest and the girl, in mid stride, and the attacking Flying pokémon went under him. Pikachu hammered it out of the way with a Thunderbolt.

Three more moved in, all aiming for different parts of Ash's body. Pikachu let out a war-cry and attacked with a Thundershock. Electricity danced almost everywhere behind the fleeing trio. Most of the low flying spearows were scattered, but the three currently moving to attack were very good. They managed to dodge, duck, and weave through the maze of energy and made to attack Ash's legs, head, and torso in a staggered formation.

_Crap! _Pikachu let loose several more Thundershocks, blasting craters in the path behind them, kicking up dust and debris. Under the repeated electric barrage two of the remaining spearows were blown away, sent tumbling into the forest. But the last spearow once more evaded the attacks, and moved to attack Ash's head with Fury Attack.

_Ash! _Pikachu's panicked shout was unnecessary, Ash could hear the spearow moving in. The running boy waited until the last moment, and then, almost negligently, tilted his head to the right and leaned a bit. Feather's brushed his face as Ash slowed down just a hair, and he could hear whistling from the repeated stabs of the spearows attack. But the bird pokémon overshot the fugitives and ended up in Pikachu's sights.

_Eat electricity! _An overcharged Thunderbolt blasted the spearow. It let out a pained cry and tumbled into the forest, crashing through branches and leaving broken boughs in its wake.

_Damnit_, complained Pikachu panting, _why don't they all just attack at once? They're just toying with us now!_

_No. You could get them all in one blast if they did so, _replied Ash, skidding around a bend in the path. _They're trying to tire us out first. _And with that Ash had an idea.

_Pikachu, can you pretend to try and blast them while they're up there? _Ash asked_. Flashy attacks that look nice, don't take you much effort, and are sorta weak?_

_Sure idiot, but what good's that going to do?_

_We'll pretend to get tired. And then they'll all attack at once to finish us! _A few drops of rain fell on Ash as he said this, and there was an ominous rumble in the distance.

_Idiot, how do you keep thinking up these good ideas!_

_... by not actually being an idiot..._

_Not the time. Now's the time for me to make pretty lights!_

* * *

><p>Their prey futilely tried to shock them in the air. Destructive yellow energy danced below them, fruitlessly reaching for them. But the spearows laughed at its impotence. They couldn't be touched by the groundwalkers. They were the masters of the sky and their flock was strong.<p>

The whole ordeal was annoying, but the boss wanted them to get the girl for some reason. So the spearows obeyed, chasing her through the forest, breaking her pokéballs when she tried to let out her pokémon after the first encounter. Only weaklings followed humans, but they could make the task more annoying. They chased her through the forest, between the trees, all the while Pecking at her, scratching her exposed skin, and slamming into her. Together they laughed at her cries of pain. To amuse themselves, they let her get some distance, to let her think that she could escape. Then they would close in again and delight in crushing her hope.

Then that stupid boy and that electric scum had found her. Foolishly the boy decided to attempt to save her and his weakling assisted him. Cowardly relying on its type advantage, his pikachu shocked far better pokémon than itself to defend its master.

But it made a mistake. It tried to attack them in their home. Foolishly it tried to extend its power into the skies above, that they ruled, and wasted all of its energy. They could see that the electric vermin was tiring. It limply hung onto its master's hat, panting hard. Even better the human boy was tiring. His steps were slowing, and he occasionally stumbled, sliding through the mud. The intensity of the rain picked up, and it was coming down in sheets, hammering on the forest below, and further weakening the trio.

Yes, it was time. Time to bring them down.

Moving as one, every spearow wanting to get in on the kill, the flock descended on the humans and the pikachu. A solid mass of feathers and murderous intent fell from the sky, and the victory cries of the bird pokémon filled the air with ear shattering intensity. Like the hand of an evil giant, the spearow flock reached for the fugitives, getting closer and delighting in the obvious signs of despair and exhaustion in their prey.

But at the last second the human looked up and grinned.

_Pikachu! Now use Thunder!_

And the electric pokemon jumped from his hat, every sign of exhaustion gone, and the spearows knew that they had been had.

But it was too late for them as their world was engulfed in crackling yellow energy.

_Wow, _said Pikachu between pants, laying on the ground by Ash, _we just took out a flock of spearows. That was not in my itinerary for today._

Ash took the opportunity to lie down and_ just _be exhausted for a little bit. He knew that he was getting his clothes muddy, but he could get them washed at the Viridian City pokémon center. He made sure to keep the red haired girl curled up on his chest and do his best to keep her out of the mud.

_I can already see that it's going to be nice having you carry everything on this journey, _Pikachu taunted his trainer. _You'll be my valet. I'll have you fetch my food each day, bring my hat and monocle, serve me brandy, and take me to my appointments. It'll be wonderful._

Ash chuckled in response. The movements of his chest must have disturbed the girl because she started to groan. It reminded Ash that their work was not yet complete. He also groaned and stood up, still cradling the girl.

_Come on Pikachu, we still have to get her to the pokémon center, _the boy said._ I'm pretty sure that they have facilities for treating trainers who get hurt._

_It's not like I'm doing any work here, _replied Pikachu jumping back onto Ash's hat. Ash started to stumble through the rain, exhausted beyond reason, but refusing to drop the girl. She seemed heavier now, but Ash refused to be deterred. He continued on through the storm.

* * *

><p>It was only because of the lightning that they survived.<p>

Ash had been trudging onward, towards Viridian city, while Pikachu enjoyed the rain from his perch on the boy's head. Lightning had struck behind them, giving off the crack that reminded one that lightning was a terrifying, destructive, and powerful force of nature, not merely pretty lights during a storm. The light from the strike illuminated the path, and Ash noticed a giant, winged, shadow.

The human child let exhaustion take him and fell to the ground. Above Pikachu's head, where Ash's head used to be, a Drill Peck whirled with deadly intent. A dark shape passed over the group and hit a tree by the bend in the path ahead. It shattered into splinters and a dark shape drew itself up from the wreckage.

_Hello. You must be the forest child that I've heard word about. _Lightning flashed again and revealed the speaker to be a large fearow. _Evidently one of my minions heard you talking properly, none of that human garbage. He made sure to include that in his report after I woke him up from the thrashing you gave him. Ordinarily I would punish them all for their failure, but considering the circumstances I think I'll let them off the hook this time._

_What do you want? _Ash growled at the flying type.

_Well, when I heard that there was an area being watched over by a __**weedle**_**, **the fearow hissed the word, _of all things, I decided to take the place. I was going to enjoy killing that weedle who doesn't know his place, and was busy snacking in preparation for the fight when a fishing lure hit me on the head. No real harm done, but I was going to have to severely wound whomever was responsible out of principle. So I turn around and see this girl with a rod. I get ready to attack and then notice her eyes. They're pretty eyes. I've found that pretty eyes taste better and I was hungry, so I decided to finish up my snacking with her eyes._

_Course when I move to attack she has a starmie hit me with Watergun,_ the fearow continued, _then gets on her bike, and then fights her away through the minions I had on hand. Deciding to save my energy I get the others and order my flock to get her and then I think you know the rest._

_Now,_ continued the fearow, _if you would put her down, I'll give you a five minute head start._

_You can take your head start and - PIKACHU USE THUNDER!_

The electric mouse complied and jumped between the human and the giant bird pokémon. A giant column of electricity burst from his small body and arced towards the fearow, bathing the land in yellow light.

Fearow retaliated with the same attack.

Ash and Pikachu bore identical expression of amazement on their faces before the two attacks collided. The two giant arcs of electric energy surged against each other for a moment and then exploded.

Carried on wings of air, sudden impact, and pain, Ash was sent flying backwards. He lost his grip on the girl and the two of them hit the ground several meters back down the path, rolling a few feet more. The girl let out a sharp cry of pain. Ash grunted and started to pick himself up. Pikachu managed to land on his feet next to his trainer.

_A nice effort. _A dark shape loomed over before them, the fearow. He seemed to be completely unharmed by the clash of attacks. _But ultimately futile. I do love using Mirror Move so._

Ash's mind raced through the options available and found nothing. The flying type managed to completely counter their strongest attack, throw them around like ragdolls, and took absolutely no damage from the exchange. There was only one thing that Ash Ketchum could do.

_Pikachu, get out of here. _His pokémon looked back at him in shock. _Retreat, run away, whatever. Try to find Poison Lance if you can, or get to Viridian city and get some humans to come back with you. Just get out of here,_ Ash hissed to the yellow pokémon.

_I can take him_, protested Pikachu.

_No you can't, he's too strong. Just get to safety and don't worry about me._

_I'm not leaving you here to die like that, _Pikachu protested, stomping his foot_._

_And if you stay he'll kill you too,_ Ash hissed in fearow watched them with cruel amusement. They were speaking too quietly for him to understand what they were saying, but he liked the undertone of fear in the boy's voice.

_I'm not running away. _Pikachu crossed his forelimbs and shook his head.

_I'm an idiot, right. And you're too good to die for an idiot. Just get out of here please. I don't want you dying too _Ash pleaded, tears in his eyes. _Please JUST GO!_

Pikachu jumped at the shout and scrambled a few feet before stopping. He looked back at Ash, his eyes quivering, but Ash simply made shooing motions. Pikachu turned and then raced into the forest.

_I'll get him later. Still, it running is your only option, _the fearow taunted as he started to advance on the humans. _Well, why don't you take off? It'll take me a little while to eat her eyes, I'm sure you could go find some place to hide by then._

Ash looked the fearow in the eye and shook his head. He moved directly between the twisted bird and the girl and held out his arms.

_Never. I will do my best to stop you, _the human child declared.

_Why get yourself killed over some stranger? _Fearow cocked his head to the side._ I'm sure you have better things to be doing, like focusing on surviving to become some sort of __pokémon __trainer. You lot generally do._

_I don't care. _It was simple fact. Ash wouldn't leave her. He simply was the sort to _risk_ death to save another's life.

_I definitely won't be eating any of you. All that stupid, pointless, disgusting, nobility would give me indigestion. _And with that fearow took to wing once more, gaining altitude and then circling around to make another pass. Like the shadow of death, it dived down on Ash. He could hear the sound of the pokémon's beak whirring furiously as it prepared to use its Drill Peck on him.

Most people, when faced with death would take the time to reflect of the future that was about to be stolen from them. They would think about the dreams they would never fulfill, about the people they would leave behind, and about whatever came next. They would look upon the events leading up to their death and feel bitter regret and furious hate towards the circumstances that would led them into the darkness.

But not Ash Ketchum. His only thoughts were on whatever he could do to save the person behind him, any option or thing he missed that could be used to increase that person's chances of survival. And even if he had thought back on what led up to the situation, there was no way Ash Ketchum would ever regret trying to help someone.

Arceus itself would not be able to make him.

Lightning flashed.

There was a cry.

* * *

><p>Thanks to the strobe light like effects of a flash of lightning, Ash would be able to remember the moment for as long as he lived.<p>

In that instant, apparently frozen in time, there stood a tableau consisting of a pikachu and a fearow. Fearow wore a stunned expression, but an expression that was, for lack of a better term, squashed or squished. The reason for his unusual expression, was the glaring Pikachu that was busy driving himself into the Flying Type's face with a surprise Quick Attack.

In that frozen instant the two drifted apart, like the glaciers of the frozen north. And as time snapped back to normal, Pikachu followed up on his Quick Attack with a Thunderbolt that sent fearow tumbling into the forest with a cry of rage.

_Take that! _Pikachu shouted as he landed, back to his trainer. _Run away, yeah, right. I'll get on that right away _**sir**.

_Damnit Pikachu_, shouted Ash as he saw signs of movement in the forest. _I thought that at least you would be safe._

_You're an idiot to think I would ever run away after agreeing to come with you, _Pikachu said without turning._ But it did give me a nice opportunity for a sneak attack. Even if he kills and eats us, he'll have a black eye for a while._

_Pikachu, please, don't... _Ash pleaded, but Pikachu cut him off.

_As I've said, you're an idiot, _Pikachu turned and looked Ash right in his amber eyes._ But you are _**my **_idiot. Got that?_

_Sure_ _Pikachu_, and Ash reached down to hug the Pikachu. Lightning flashed in the distance again and a desperate idea struck Ash.

_Pikachu do you think you could do the thing you use to target your electric attacks to the sky. And then do the opposite somewhere near the fearow._

_Why the hell would I do that? _Pikachu looked at his trainer as if Ash was insane.

_Because of how lightning works, _was the human's simple reply.

_What?_

_I was just reading about it today,_ Ash told Pikachu._ For each lightning strike, there's actually two, a small one that goes up and that makes it so that the one we see goes down. Maybe we can induce that first strike-_

_It'll never work _replied Pikachu, _but you say lightning needs a bolt going up first? That gives me a different idea. Put me down._

_What are you going to do, _Ash asked the pokémon, nervously complying.

_I'm very, very fast with my electric attacks remember, _Pikachu reminded the human._ If I can call down a strike, if I'm prepared, I can probably redirect it when it reaches me. Stand back, and take the girl with you._

The red head groaned when Ash picked her up again; they needed to get her some medical attention, stat. Ash retreated to the other side of the path and watched his electric pokémon glare into the forest, where they could hear the sounds of the fearow returning.

_Come on_ groaned Pikachu, concentrating. He screwed up his face, clenching his body. Sparks flickered from his red cheeks.

_Come on. _The pokémon started to glow with a yellow light, and small bits of electricity danced about him like fireflies.

_Come on. _The direction of the rain falling around the pokémon started to reverse and water started to rise up around him.

_Come on. _They could almost see the murderous pokémon now, as it sped through the trees, beak whirring once more.

With an accompanying drumbeat, that was in reality the snapping of branches, Fearow burst forth from the forest. Murder filled his heart and his eyes as he appeared before them, wings spread out in their full terrible glory. He was dark shadow poised to take the two humans. But before the shadow stood the tiny Pikachu, radiating yellow light.

_It's ready! Eat the fruits of my Thunder you stupid bird! _Pikachu unleashed a Thunder attack once more, and once more Fearow used Mirror Move. But unlike the first time Pikachu's Thunder did not target the fearow. Instead it sped into the storm clouds, a spear of defiance against the raw power of nature. And nature sent back its own spear to crush the rebellion.

A real bolt of lightning is three times as hot as the surface of the sun and could power countries for an instant. Even a near miss by lightning can have horrible side effects. The mere noise it makes, both the horrible crack and the house rattling thunder, is enough remind one of how small and insignificant one really is. It is a terrifying force, much greater than anything humans can produce at the present, and a reminder that physics, the absolute ruler of the universe, lurks behind Mother Nature.

But lightning was still an electric phenomenon. And Pikachu could control electricity.

It didn't actually strike the electric mouse; Pikachu had more sense than that. Instead the bolt followed the path of least resistance that the Pikachu had induced, and Pikachu had made sure that the path turned above him and ended somewhere near the fearow.

Blue-white light consumed the world, and the lightning met Fearow's Thunder. But no Thunder, short of a Thunder worthy of a legendary, could ever hope to compare with a storm born bolt. It overwhelmed the fearow's attack and blasted right by his head. Pikachu's attack did not actually strike the Fearow, but simply being that close to a bolt of real lightning was enough to remove the flying type from the fight.

The crack of the lightning split the audio world asunder and the rumble of the thunder forced the two halves apart. Somewhere in the forest a tree exploded as the bolt of lightning struck it and for an instant one could see the orange glow of fire. But the falling rain put it out.

Ash had turned away from the pokémon at the last second and put his body between the event and the girl, turning himself into a shield in case something went wrong. Pikachu had done his best to contain the lighting's effects with his skills, and it had been enough to prevent harm from befalling the humans.

When he looked back, he saw Pikachu, singed and smoking, but standing over the unconscious body of fearow. The electric pokémon turned to Ash, and then flipped him the victory sign before toppling over. Ash put the girl down gently and then rushed to Pikachu.

_Are you alright? Please tell me you're alright. _Ash resisted the urge to shake his pokémon.

_I feel worse than that time I really screwed up Thunder while I was still learning the move. But I don't care. Why? Because I just shot a bolt of lightning! I'm now officially the best electric pokemon in Kanto short of Zapdos! That was awesome! _Pikachu was grinning ear to ear.

_But yeah, _the yellow pokémon continued_, I'll probably be out of it for a while. Ash, we need to train between now and the next storm-_

_There is no way that I'm letting you use that suicidal move ever again!_

_I'm going to do it with or without you anyway, _Pikachu informed him, still grinning._ And since I only learned Lightningbolt thanks to you-_

_Wait, you're giving it a name now?_

_Yep! I'm the only pokemon to know Lightningbolt. Probably because no other pokemon was stupid enough to try, but that's what happens when you hang around an idiot. But since you're responsible for me knowing it, you're responsible for helping me learn to use it properly. _Pikachu winced and then continued, _but you know we really need to get to Viridian City first._

Ash picked up Pikachu and place him on his head. Then he retrieved the red haired girl. He noticed the thin layer of blood all over her limbs and his heart skipped a beat. She need medical attention soon. As he picked her up, the girl's turquoise eyes fluttered open for a moment.

"It's over. You're safe now." Ash could not tell if she had heard, her eyes shut as soon as they had opened and she unconsciously curled into the warmth of his body.

He started going as fast as he could, restricted to a stumbling walk by his pain and exhaustion. It would have to be enough.

Ash looked down at the red head in his arms.

_I wonder what sort of person - _he winced as a jolt of pain shot through his leg - _she is?_

_Well, she's a red head, so probably mild mannered, with a sweet disposition , and no temper to speak of, _answered Pikachu. Ash did not catch the sarcasm.

_You can tell all that about a person from their hair?_

_Ordinarily I'd face palm right now, but I'm just going to lie here and hurt for a while instead. Okay?_

_... alright..._

_By the tree, you are an idiot Ash Ketchum_


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own pokémon

Touched up as of 5/15/2015

* * *

><p>Misty's world was filled with darkness and pain. There was the occasional flash of light that was either accompanied by cries, or followed by the rumble of thunder.<p>

She _hurt _all over; there was no other way to describe her condition. It was simple pain, in every part of her body that her fading consciousness was aware of.

There was a boy, she realized in her most lucid moments, carrying her through the ordeal. And there was a Pikachu, she thought. She could not remember much about their flight, only that the wicked beaks and cruel talons had bothered her no more when he appeared.

She could vaguely recall the confrontation with the fearow. The sudden burst of pain caused by her rough landing had awakened her into a vague sort of awareness. Although she couldn't understand the words, she saw the boy send his Pikachu to safety.

And then he had planted himself between her and the evil shadow of that was the fearow. Like a knight from the tales of old he stood, forbidding the murderous bird from going forth to harm her.

Misty couldn't comprehend what happened next; the pain from her injuries were too great. The Pikachu returned and then there was light against the onrushing darkness and everything went white and there was this horrible noise.

Afterwards the boy picked her up again. She thought she heard him say something, but whatever he said was lost as she fell back into unconsciousness.

* * *

><p>High above in the sky, Ho-oh watched the valiant trainer and his pokémon head to safety. He let loose a caw as he flew off, towards the storm's rainbow, but the trainer below did not look up.<p>

* * *

><p>The Officer Jenny in the police outpost on the edge of Viridian City was worried. Earlier during the day she had gotten reports that members of Team Rocket might be in the area.<p>

Viridian City was near the heart of the Kanto League territory, there was no way that any members of Team Rocket should be preforming open operations anywhere near here. Metaphorically speaking, they were within spitting distance of the Elite Four themselves, and one the major bases of operations for the Pokémon Rangers, as well as close to the League HQ, where high grade pokémon trainers volunteered to undertake League missions.

The report had to be mistaken. The only other possibility was that Team Rocket was starting to regain its old strength, the strength they had in the days when they could carry out their plans in broad daylight and had tried to take Saffron City. Ever since the League had broken their power on that day, Team Rocket had been forced into hiding, only carrying out covert operations. If any agents were moving openly again, they had to be elite agents with a large number of powerful pokémon.

All of the Viridian Police force was hoping that it was just some pokémon thief that someone assumed belonged to Team Rocket unit. In fact that was what they had told the populace, both because to avoid starting a panic and because they wanted to believe it themselves. Nobody wanted to envision returning to those dark days.

She glanced out the window and saw a strange sight.

A boy was carrying a red haired girl, her bare, pale legs dangling over his arms as she curled into his chest, and there was a pikachu laying onto of his head. What was even more surprising was the state of the three of them. The boy was in the best condition of the group, but he was covered in dried and cracking mud, and his exhaustion was betrayed by his every stumbling step. But the raven haired boy did his best to keep his head level for the comfort of the pikachu and he kept his upper body level, trying to give the girl a smooth journey.

The pikachu was singed all over, bits of his fur were a smoky gray color instead of the normal bright yellow, there were scrapes and scratches scattered all over him, and anytime he moved too much at once, a wince of pain cam over his face. But for some reason he looked like a cat who had gotten into the cream, or he at least looked that way at least when he was not looking at the girl. When he looked at the girl, the small electric mouse's expression grew worried.

And the girl was in the worst shape of all three. Red splotches of dried blood spotted her limbs, there were cuts and bruises everywhere, her clothes were torn, and even her backpack looked beaten up. She was clearly unconscious and in very bad shape.

This was a group clearly in need of assistance.

Officer Jenny rushed out of the small police outpost and skidded to a stop in front of the group. The boy did not notice her at first, in his exhausted haze, nearly bumped into her. But his pikachu made a noise and he jerked to attention, his eyes going from hazy to a panicked clear in an instant.

"What the hell happened here?" Officer Jenny demanded of the boy.

The boy's eyes glanced down at the girl in his arms and then up at the battered pikachu (who sighed and said "Pika").

"It's a long story."

* * *

><p>Officer Jenny had weighed the pro and cons of calling an ambulance for the girl (Misty, as the League ID in her backpack revealed her to be) and sending her to a human hospital, or shoving the group into the pod of her motorcycle and hightailing them to the Viridian City pokémon center.<p>

She included in in the decision making process: her assessment of the girl's condition, the time it would take an ambulance, the hospital's current load, the state of the boy and his Pikachu, the fact that the boy had not filled out the registration on his pokédex yet (She found a note inside reminding the trainers to do so, and to check in with Oak at Viridian City) and thus she needed Oak to confirm his identity, the damage to Misty's pokéballs, and the threat of either pokémon thieves or Team Rocket in the area.

In the end she decided the best course of action was to put them in her motorcycle, shatter the speed limits, and rush to the pokémon center. Her driving skills, combined with the boy's assistance, kept the ride smooth for the wounded passengers, despite the high speed and the crazy stunts.

Night had begun to fall when the Viridian City pokémon center came into sight, a greenish gray structure that cupped a gigantic red ball in the center of the roof.

"Hang on", Officer Jenny shouted over the roar of the motorcycle engine, "We're almost there!"

When she started to accelerate, the boy yelped and clutched his charges tighter.

She crested the rise, turned her motorcycle, and began a sliding stop that decelerated the vehicle enough to get through the open doors and ended up stopped before the front desk of the center.

Nurse Joy looked up and sighed.

"We have a driveway for a reason you know" she told the member of the Jenny clan.

"Driveways are people who don't know how to drive properly indoors. Besides, I've got an emergency here. The girl's a League member who needs medical attention, the boy's Pikachu needs attention as well, and I need to borrow your video phone to check the boy's identity with Professor Oak. Evidently Aaron here hasn't filled out the registration information on his pokédex yet. "

"Right" responded the member of the Joy clan, nodding. "I need two stretchers here, a stretcher for a female adolescent trainer, and one for a small electric pokémon!"

Two pairs of chanseys carrying two different sized stretchers, and a pair of machops came out of a door to the left of the front desk. The machops loaded Misty onto the stretchers, and then aided by the chanseys, carried her through a door to the front desk. The other pair of chanseys took Pikachu through a door on the right side of the center. He cheerily waved to Ash just before the doors closed.

Nurse Joy pulled on a pair of medical gloves, and pressed a button on the desk.

"Cissy, I've got a human patient coming your way. Adolescent, female, numerous abrasions and contusions. I've got a pikachu who seems to be suffering moderate to severe battle damage, so I can't help you over there."

"Acknowledged" came the reply over the intercom. Nurse Joy then turned to Ash.

"Right, what's your name?"

"Aaron Autumns" replied Ash Ketchum automatically.

"Aaron, normally I'd tell you not to let your pokémon battle to the point where they get in the condition that yours is in, but I think there's a long story involved here. The damage doesn't look too bad right now, it's certainly manageable. Don't worry, he's in the best of hands right now. I'm going to need you to wait patiently and cooperate with Officer Jenny now, okay?"

"Alright" replied Ash, nodding. Nurse Joy then turned and followed Pikachu to the ER.

Officer Jenny then led him behind the desk and used the pokémon center's main video phone to call Professor Oak.

There was a mural depicting four legendary pokémon behind the desk. The picture of the bottom left legendary slid down, reviling a screen. On the screen there was the back of someone's head.

"This is Professor Oak speaking. Might I ask who this is?"

"Wrong camera Professor" Officer Jenny told the former Pokémon Champion. Oak jumped in his seat, and turned around in his swivel chair, flustered.

"Sorry Officer" the pokémon professor said, rubbing the back of his head. "What seems to be the trouble?"

"Not much" replied Jenny, "just a trainer who didn't finish filling out his pokedex registration information before arriving in Viridian City. There's a long story involved, but I just need you to confirm that this is Aaron Autumns."

Oak peered at Ash again, who simply looked back. Once more, upon seeing the boy's eyes, the professor got that haunting feeling.

"Yes, that is Aaron Autumns" the pokemon professor told the police woman.

"Thank you Professor, I'm sorry to have bothered you, but there's been reports of pokémon thieves in the area and I needed to be sure. His pikachu wasn't in a pokéball, so..."

"Quite understandable Officer," Oak reassured the woman. Don't worry. But I left instructions in all the trainer's pokédexs to contact me once they reached Viridian, so this call should have happened anyway. By the way, where is Pikachu?"

"He's being treated by Nurse Joy right now" answered Ash.

"Ran into some trouble on the way I see. Catch any pokémon? Gary bet me a million yen that he would catch the most pokémon, but I told him that there was always someone better."

"Ummm... we really didn't have time to catch any pokémon..."

Oak hung his head in despair.

"Well, money isn't everything. But does this trouble have anything to do with why Officer Jenny brought you in herself?"

"He arrived in town carrying a wounded girl, with a damaged pikachu riding on his head" Jenny told Oak, "it was an unusual sight."

"This should be quite a story Aaron," the professor turned to the boy. "What happened?"

"Well, me and Pikachu were traveling down the path to here" began Ash, "when out of nowhere a bike and a girl come flying out of the woods!"

"Don't you mean a girl on a bike?" asked Oak.

"No. The bike landed somewhere else. Then I rush over to her and she tells me to run away. I pick her up, she faints, and then a flock of spearows explode from the forest and try to attack us. But I start running-"

"You ran? You ran from a flock of spearows while carrying another trainer?" Oak looked at Ash with an appraising eye. "You don't look that athletic."

"She was very light" replied Ash, shrugging. He was actually worried that the girl was not eating enough or something. She didn't seem malnourished though. Or were humans supposed to be that light? Yet another thing he had to add to his list of human related questions. Nurse Joy probably knew. Maybe she could also answer his question about Gary's team of cheerleaders...

"What happened next?" Oak inquired.

"Well, they didn't attack all at once, so we had to shock them a bit at a time. Since it was obvious that they were waiting for us to tire, Pikachu pretended to exhaust himself. Then they all tried to get us and Pikachu zapped them all at once and then it started to rain and a fearow tried to kill us and eat her eyes-"

"Wait, the fearow was trying to eat her eyes. How do you know this?"

Ash almost said, because that what's the fearow had said, but he caught himself just in time.

"Just in the way it tried to peck at them. Then I had Pikachu use Thunder -"

"That Pikachu knows Thunder?" Oak tapped his chin. "I won't have thought that it would, I caught it rather easily. But I suppose that's the weakness of pikachus. They're fast, and can deal some major damage, but they don't take hits very well. So you had Pikachu use Thunder on the Fearow and then what?"

"Well, Fearow used Mirror Move and hit Pikachu's Thunder with another Thunder and they blew up," Ash continued.

"I still have yet to discover why all pokémon attacks can blow up" muttered Professor Oak.

"Well, we were hurt by that and Fearow wasn't, so I told Pikachu to run away and get help. Then I tried to stop the fearow myself, but Pikachu came back and caught it by surprise and -"

Ash debated for a moment on the wisdom of telling people that he taught his Pikachu to control lightning. Everything considered it might worry people. And it would bring up questions about how he had taught the pokémon to do so. Professor Oak would investigate, and he might up discovering Ash's past, and then bad things could happen. So Ash decided to fudge the truth a bit.

"-and then" Aaron (Ash) continued "Pikachu surprised it by again with a Thunder attack and we knocked it out. Pikachu didn't use it quite right and ended up hurting himself. Then I had to carry them all to Viridian City and then Officer Jenny spotted me and then she brought me here and then we called you" Ash finished.

"Well that's certainly a valid reason for not catching any pokémon. Thought it would've been more fitting if it had been had been a dragon type." Oak muttered the last sentence.

"What?" Ash asked the pokémon professor, confused.

"Nothing kid, nothing at all," Oak shook his head. "Well I can't wait to tell Gary about this. Is it true that he declared you two rivals?" Ash nodded. "Well I can't wait to tell him what his rival's been up to. I'm glad I took his recommendation and gave you a pokémon! And good work with that pikachu! I thought it would be extraordinarily difficult to work with it, but you've shown some talent. Remember to fill out the registration on your pokédex. And can you keep me informed as to your progress. I don't ask this of every trainer anymore, but you seem like you're going to have an interesting journey."

"I'll try" Ash told the former Champion warily. That could be troublesome, but he could always pretend to forget. It wasn't like he was going to be traveling with any humans that would remind him to call the professor regularly.

Professor Oak nodded and then said his farewells to Ash and Jenny. The screen went blank, and Ash went to go change clothes. He pulled his spare set out of his backpack, changed into them and then went to look for the pokémon center's washing machines. Poison Lance had told him about everything that pokémon centers had to offer and had Ash practice using laundry machines a couple of times, when the weedle thought it was safe.

Ash put his clothes in the wash, poured in the detergent, started the cycle and then went to the waiting room to wait for Pikachu.

As he was sitting there, twiddling his thumbs, a sudden realization struck him. He would be staying at the pokémon center that night. From the looks of the place, it was deserted that night. That meant he would get a room for sure. And that meant-

It would be the first time in seven years that Ash slept with a roof over his head.

* * *

><p>Pikachu's operation didn't take very long, and Ash joyfully reclaimed his pokémon from a smiling Nurse Joy. Ash then inquired about Misty's condition. Nurse Joy told him that the nurses who handled trainer care had determined that there had been no internal injuries, stitched up the cuts, and were currently examining the girl for any hairline fractures. Evidently she would be back on her feet in a couple of days.<p>

Nurse Joy also informed Ash, that if it hadn't been for him, the spearows and the fearow would have done a great deal more damage. From looking at Misty's injuries it was evident that the spearow were toying with her, the bird pokémon had been playing a game of cat and mouse with the girl and if they had decided to end it before Ash had arrived, then there would have been little possibility of Misty recovering.

"That girl owes you a lot. Maybe even her life" Nurse Joy told the boy, "and I have to say, it was an incredibly brave thing to do. Somewhat stupid, most trainers would've tried to get help, instead of trying to carry someone to safety while being attacked by a flock of murderous spearows, but still incredibly brave. You're a good kid Aaron Autumns, and from the looks of your pikachu, you'll do fine as a trainer."

Aaron (Ash) blushed, lowered his gaze to the floor, and rubbed the back of his head.

He laughed nervously and then said, "It's not like I could've not helped there. It was nothing."

Nurse Joy smiled, and then looked at the clock. It was getting rather late in the evening. She told Aaron that he should think about turning in, and then went back to the front desk to finish up her shift.

Ash took Pikachu to the trainer bunks. All the rooms were empty; evidently most trainers who were in the area had alternative lodgings.

So he grabbed a bottom bunk (avoiding the top bunks due to a childhood incident that involved sleeping in a tree), changed into some sleeping clothes, shoved his stuff under his bed, and then lay back in the bed.

It was an odd sensation.

Unlike the ground the mattress actually gave a bit under his weight, giving Ash a tiny scare at first. The give was very mild, and for the most part the mattress was soft without letting Ash sink into it. Softness was not something Ash usually slept on, and the gentle feel of the fabric of the sheet beneath him was also unusual.

The boy then pulled the covers up; at least here he had something to compare it to; Poison Lance had made him blankets. But pokémon silk blankets felt way different than the comforter provided by the pokémon center.

The warm gentle pressure felt so right, and Ash nearly fell asleep right then and there. But he shook his head, and turned to Pikachu, who was munching on some berries that he had procured from somewhere.

_You know, I didn't realize this before, but it's unusual for a wild Pikachu to know Thunder. How'd you learn it? _Ash asked the electric mouse.

Pikachu looked up at the human boy.

_My dad showed me the basics, _Pikachu explained_ he had learned it off a trained electric pokemon somewhere. I practiced for a long time and I finally got it by observing lightning. It was awesome, 'specially the first time I used it. That Raticate had it coming. But it doesn't seem as awesome now that I can hurl lightning bolts at my enemies now. Thanks for teaching me to do that again._

_I'm not letting you do that again until we've done a lot of training,_ Ash said, wagging a finger at the pokémon. _You're going to need practice directing electricity you don't produce. I don't want to think about what would've happened if that lightning bolt had hit you._

_Yeah, yeah, yeah,_ replied Pikachu, waving away Ash's concerns, _but it's still cool. I can't wait to use it again! Say, do you know if there's any Flying Types that look like goats? Or where one could find a chariot?_

_...I don't want to know what's going through your brain right now..._

_Electricity, _replied Pikachu, his cheeks sparking.

_That was horrible,_ Ash groaned.

_It's alright human. I'll forgive your lack of taste in humor, since you helped me defeat a flock of spearows and an overpowered fearow. So anyway, when is the girl going to wake up?_

_The nurses didn't say, _Ash said.

_I hope she gets up in time for us to meet her, so she can thank us, _said Pikachu.

_Why do you want that, _Ash asked his pokémon warily?

_Cause human girls usually find me cute and adorable, _Pikachu explained cheekily._ And I find them to be cute and adorable in the same sorta way._

_Wait, we humans find you cute because you're small, cheerful looking, a bit chubby, and I don't actually know why else, _Ash scratched his head. _ I really need to find a way to ask people about these things._

_And certain pokemon find certain human cute and adorable because either you're so tall, helpless, and curious, or so small, helpless, and curious. Mostly helpless._

_Helpless! I'll show you helpless, rodent! _Ash grabbed his Pokémon.

_STOP! STOP,STOP,STOP,STOP! _Pikachu screeched._ THAT TICKLES!_

_That's the point!_

_I demand that you release me human, this is a most undignified- OH THAT TICKLES!_

Pikachu let out a small electric shock to make his trainer stop tickling him. Ash dropped him on the bed and fell back, his frazzled hair squishing weirdly against the pillow. As he felt Pikachu scamper up to his chest, Ash noticed that the air felt unusual. Not only did it smell and taste funny, but it felt cooler than it should have been. He assumed it was the air conditioning thing Poison Lance had told him about. Something that his school had lacked.

Pikach stood on his trainer's chest, staring smugly down at Ash.

_See, helpless, _Pikachu said smugly.

_Fine, I'm helpless. That means you're obligated to help me. _The human grabbed the Pikachu and cuddled him close, turning on the bed to go to sleep.

_What's this supposed to help you with? _Pikachu asked as he smuggled into Ash.

_My nightmares, _Ash told him._ They haven't been as bad in recent years, but Poison Lance told me that they might start up again during the beginning of my journey. This sorta things worked in the past._

_Oh, I guess you would have some. Don't worry, if you have any tonight I'll shock them away!_

_... you could just pinch me awake. It would be less painful._

_Yeah, actually that's a good idea, _Pikachu admitted._ Probably should've gone with that first. Night Ash._

_Night Pikachu._

* * *

><p>Ash's dreams never had been very lucid, especially his nightmares. For the most part they consisted of confusing flashes of smoke, fire, burning houses, barking, that horrible persistent barking that hounded one through the evil forest and they're coming and coming and get away, GO AWAY,<strong>GO AWAY!<strong>

Sometimes there was a woman's scream. Other times he heard a man shouting. Occasionally he hard Marp's terrified bleating. Very rarily would he seem some unusual incidents, an oddly dressed man with an irregularly shaped red monocle, a white beam of energy removing a raven haired man's arm and shoulder. A woman carrying him hit by a blast of fire and then dark shapes descending on her.

They always ended in the same way. A multicolored beam of light shone from somewhere, and then Poison Lance or a pokémon that had been watching Ash, woke him up.

Tonight's nightmare brought some new additions. There was a shadow that blotted out the stars, and it was crashing through the trees, going to get him, joining the dark bounding shapes in the chase,

no escape,

no espcape,

no

no no no no no no

mamma dadda momma dadda fire smoke death

**blood**

oh no no no no, why, twisted trees reaching for him, and Arceus why and-

Multicolored light shone and something was shaking him.

* * *

><p><em>Wake up! Oh, finally.<em>

Ash sat up, rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and blinked. He could make out the small shape of his Pikachu standing on the bed beside him.

_Thanks, _Ash yawned.

_No problem, _Pikachu replied._ It sounded pretty bad. Wanna talk about it?_

_I can't remember enough of it to talk about._

_Oh. _The two were silent for a moment. _Going back to sleep now? _Pikachu asked his trainer.

Ash looked up to check the position of the moon and stars to gauge the time, but then he remembered were he was. He tried to remember how humans told time indoors and then remember learning about clocks. Ash glanced around and saw a digital clock on the wall opposite the door. It told him that it was 5:30 am.

_I think I'll get an early start, _Ash said, stretching a little._ I can't remember if __pokémon __centers provide food. We'll have to go check it out._

_They better have some food for me, _said Pikachu, jumping off the bed. Ash got dressed in the dark, and then remembered the light switch. He packed his things and went looking for a bathroom. Ash washed up a bit, deciding to try the showers after breakfast.

As he and Pikachu were heading back to the lobby to start looking around for any place in the center that had food, an alarm went off.

"**ATTENTION! ATTENTION! CITIZENS OF VIRIDIAN CITY, THE RADAR NETWORK HAS SPOTTED AN AIRCRAFT BELONGING TO THE ORGANIZATION KNOWN AS TEAM ROCKET IN THE CITY'S AIRSPACE! PLEASE REMAIN CALM, STAY INDOORS, AND KEEP YOUR POKEMON CLOSE! REPEAT: AN AIRCRAFT BELONGING TO TEAM ROCKET HAS BEEN SPOTTED IN THE AIR SPACE!"**

* * *

><p>The trio had kept their balloon in a narrow band of air space that the radar systems of most cities neglected. Their chosen craft moved too slowly for any motion sensing devices to register, as they were all tuned to search for much speedier aircraft. They had waited until nightfall to begin their operation so that nobody would look up and spot them. It wasn't until they had to descend that the radar spotted them, and by then it was too late. The two humans had thrown their pokéballs through the pokémon center's glass roof before the emergency lock down had begun, and the Meowth followed the balls.<p>

With a shatter of broken glass an ekans and a koffing appeared, Meowth following right behind them.

Ash and Pikachu skidded into the lobby, just in time to see the ekans use Acid on the front desk, forcing Nurse Joy to jump away, and destroying the security controls.

Two ropes descended through the broken skylight. Two people dressed in white uniforms with giant red Rs on them slid down the ropes and landed behind the two pokémon. One was an effeminate looking purple haired man, currently holding a rose to his face. The other was a red haired woman with a face that somehow seemed naturally haughty.

"Who are you guys?" Ash asked, as he ran between them and Nurse Joy.

_Careful Ash, _warned his Pikachu, _this doesn't look good, and I don't feel up to battling again yet._

"So the twerp wants to know who we are" said the red haired woman condescendingly. "Shall we enlighten him?"

"Yes, lets" replied the man haughtily, taking a sniff of his rose.

"Prepare for trouble!" Called out the red haired woman.

"Make it double!" Cried out the man.

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all peoples within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!" said the red haired woman with blue eyes.

"James!" said the grayish-green eyed man with purple hair.

"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"

The Meowth opened its mouth, but Jessie said. "Not this time Meowth. Remember the plan."

The cat pokemon nodded and closed its mouth.

"Team Rocket" growled Ash, remembering Poison Lance's stories. "I've only got one thing to - PIKACHU THUNDERSHOCK!" Tendrils of electric energy slammed into the ground between Ash and Team Rocket, destroying the floor and kicking up dust. Ash turned around and ran to Nurse Joy.

"Hurry!" he said, grabbing her hand and starting to dash off.

"No, this way", she said, taking them through the door to the left of the desk. When they were both through, Ash turned to close the door behind them, but as he did so, it fell to pieces. Standing in the wreckage was the meowth, a smug expression on his face.

Ash grabbed Joy's hand and dashed off again.

* * *

><p>"We've got to get to the safe room" Nurse Joy told Ash as they dashed down the hallway. Pikachu let loose a Thunderbolt that crackled behind them, forcing the Rocket pokémon to abandon the pursuit in favor of dodging.<p>

_I can't keep this up, _he told his trainer, _so you better think of something fast idiot._

Thanks for the encouragement, Ash thought to himself.

"Turn right here" Nurse Joy told Ash when they reached an intersection. They rounded the corner and then Joy led them through an automatic steel door. It closed behind them.

"Lockdown mode! Now! Authorization Code metapod-snaffy-forty-three!"

"Code accepted. Lockdown Mode initiating" spoke a synthesized female voice. Sirens began to wail throughout the center, and metal blast doors began to close in different hallways.

Ash looked at the room they were currently in. There was a computer in an alcove in the back, and some sort of weird conveyor belt thing next to it. But what caught his eye were the rows of long shelves, each shelf holding a neat row of pokeballs.

Nurse Joy ran to the back of the room, and sat down at the computer. She typed a bit, and then spoke into a microphone.

"Attention Pewter City pokémon center. This is the Viridian City pokémon center. We are currently under assault by Team Rocket. Preparing to send the pokémon over to you."

"Acknowledged. Preparing to receive pokémon."

A whir filled the room as the conveyor belt started to send a stream of pokéballs to the weird contraption in back. A mechanical arm reached out to the conveyor belt and grabbed a pokéball. The weird dome shaped contraption opened up and the arm dropped the pokéball in. There was a burst of white energy from an emitter dish above the contraption and then the strange device opened up to reveal that it was empty.

"Pokémon received" came the message from Pewter City.

For half a minute this continued, and then there was a window rattling boom, and the pokémon center shuddered. Some pokéballs fell off the shelves, and the room went dark.

"They've killed the generator" said Joy, "but we've got a backup system. Behold Pika-power!"

The lights came back on and Nurse Joy gestured towards a window to the right of the computer. Ash looked through it and saw a circle of pikachus, forelegs on each other's backs, trotting on a circular treadmill.

_Power! Power! Power! Pika-Power! _The electric mice chanted, and streams of yellow electricity flowed into the column in the center.

"How'd you get them to do that?" Ash asked Joy.

"You'd be surprised what a Pikachu will do for its favorite food," Joy said, gently smiling. "The only downside is that we have to keep a bunch of weird food stocked all the time."

_Yes my brethren! Use your power to confound those knaves! Give them a taste of the power of Pikachu!_ Ash's Pikachu cheered, thrusting a foreleg into the air.

But another explosion rocked the center, momentarily stopping the pikachus who struggled to regain their balance. The synthesized female voice spoke again.

"Pokémon transport system offline. Lockdown procedures interrupted. Emergency Override invoked. Unable to secure Human Wing, Transport room, and Trainer's Quarters. Looking for solution..."

"Prioritize Pokémon Transport system" Nurse Joy shouted at the computer, "and then Transport Room security."

"Acknowledged. Estimated Time to Completion: 10 minutes."

"Show me the security feeds" Joy requested.

Her computer blinked for a second and then an image of Team Rocket appeared. The two humans and their pokémon were running down an unfamiliar hallway.

"Crap, they're in the Human Wing" the Nurse said worried. "They're looking to steal pokémon from the wounded trainers first. But why not come here first... Of course. They've shown they've either got the blueprints or good technical skills. They figure they can get in here at any time, but they want to get the wounded trainers before they escape. "

Joy clicked a bit, causing the display to change, selected an icon, typed something in the program that appeared, and a single bit of data popped up.

"We've only got one trainer there right now, Misty. Crap, and the staff in that part of the Center is in the Staff Quarters and that's still in Lockdown. She's defenseless."

Ash started moving immediately. He grabbed two pokéballs from off the ground, put them in his belt, and gently lowered Pikachu from his shoulders.

"Does the Pika-generator have any battery" Aaron (Ash) asked of Nurse Joy.

"Yes, Aaron, but what does that have to do with-"

"Pikachu, when that battery's filled up enough I want you to take those pikachus and find me" Ash ordered his pokémon. "I'm going to go mess with Team Rocket and keep them away from the girl."

_Aye, aye captain! _Pikachu replied saluting.

Ash nodded, turned, and ran down the room, pausing only to slam into the steel door.

"Sorry about that" Joy said sheepishly, "but you should have asked me to unlock it first"

Ash's response was too muffled to understand.

* * *

><p>The sirens had woken her up, but some of the gentle haze from the pain killers remained.<p>

She was in a bed. There was an unfamiliar ceiling above her. Misty stared at it for a moment, and then some memories started to trickle through the drugs.

Flapping wings, tearing beaks, ripping talons, winged shadows, and lightning. And a boy and a Pikachu.

A sudden realization hit her, and the icy hand of fear hollowed her insides, leaving only a tight coldness.

Her pokémon! Where were her pokémon!

She sat up as fast as she could, and glanced around the room. It was some sort of medical ward. She wasn't hooked up to an IV or any monitoring machines, which meant that her injuries couldn't be too bad.

But she only cared about the backpack that was in the chair by the bed. Her vision was somewhat blurry from the drugs, but she could tell that it was full. Her pokémon were fine.

Misty breathed a sigh of relief and lay back down. Before she could surrender herself to the painkillers once more, her door burst open with a loud bang.

As far as she could tell, with the current state of her vision, two men walked in, one with purple hair, and one with red hair. They didn't seem like nurses.

"Well, well, well" said the purple haired one. There was something red near his face. Was he bleeding? "I almost thought this entire section would be empty. But it seems there's one recuperating little girl with her pokémon unguarded."

Two more purple shapes appeared in the door, a long one, and a hovering sphere. A brown shape scampered under them.

"Yes indeed, just one helpless little brat, and her backpack. I'm betting that this is where all your pokémon are" said the red haired one mockingly.

"Well, we'll just be taking these! Hope you get better- OH SWEET ARCEUS WHY!"

Misty had kicked him between the legs. Hard. The purple haired man fell to the ground twitching.

The red haired one turned to Misty. Before he could do anything Misty also kicked him between the legs. The man grunted in pain, but stayed on his feet.

"Why the hell would you try that on me!" Shouted the red haired one.

Misty peered closely at the person for a second.

"Though you were a man" she mumbled apologetically.

"YOU WHAT!" Jessie shouted as James stood up. Before either of them could do anything, both of them had flying paper weights applied to the back of their heads.

Heads throbbing, the due turned around to see the twerp from earlier. The stupid little boy stuck his tongue out at them.

"Losers! Bet you can't get me!" The boy taunted them.

"Ekans!"

"Koffing!"

"BEAT HIM TO WITHIN AN INCH OF HIS MISERABLE LITTLE LIFE!" The Rocket humans cried out in unison. Koffing bobbed and Ekans nodded. The two Poison Types lunged at the boy, who turned tail and ran.

During the commotion Meowth grabbed Misty's backpack, threw it to James, and then followed the other pokémon. He wanted to watch this.

* * *

><p>Ash ducked a spray of Acid, and then rounded a corner. When he had found out that the pokémon in the two pokéballs he grabbed were a pidgey and a rattata, it didn't take him long to think of a plan to deal with the two Rocket pokémon.<p>

Purple pokémon poked around the corner and spewed Acid and Smog at him. He ran to another intersection and jumped to the left. Koffing and Ekans followed him, spewing Acids and Smogs indiscriminately. When they reached the intersection, Ash only had one thing to say.

_Now! _Ash shouted.

A miniture tornado formed, courtesy of Pidgey's Gust, and it sucked up all Koffing's Smog, turning the color of a particularly nasty looking bruise. Like a deranged figure skater it wobbled and spun into poisonous pair, not only hitting them with a Gust, but with their own poison as well, and blinding them.

_Guys now! Quick Attacks!_

Rattata and Pidgey nodded, and blurred off into the haze. There was the sound of impacts, and Rattata and Pidgey came rushing out the other side. As soon as they landed they repeated the process. The effect was something like a pair of sentient bouncing balls, speeding in and out of the haze.

Repeated Quick Attacks soon cleared the smokescreen, revealing a pair of beaten poison types.

_What do ya know? It worked! Good job Ash, _praised Rattata.

_I thought it was a stupid plan too. Boy was I surprised _Pidgey told Ash.

_Why does everyone think I'm an idiot? _Ash sighed.

_Hey! _A voice shouted from down the hallway. Meowth had caught up with the group. _You did this you brat! I'm going to tear you shreds for this! No one messes with Team Rocket!_

_Hey! You guys attacked us first! _Ash retorted. Of course since he was talking in the manner of pokémon, it caused a small reaction in the Rocket pokémon. It was a small reaction because the cat pokémon's head failed to go through the ceiling when he jumped in surprise.

_Did you just understand me? __**And **__talk __pokémon_ _like?_

_Nope. You're imagining things _Ash told the cat.

_There you did it again! _The meowth pointed one claw. _I'm not going crazy here at the top! Why don't you come with me little boy, and we can tell Jessie and James all about this. I'm sure they'll be very interested._

_How bout - QUICK ATTACK!_

Pidgey and Rattata both sped towards Meowth. But there was a flash of silver and the two pokémon were sent flying back the way they came, with angry red scratches all over them.

Ash caught the two small pokémon.

_Are you two okay? _He asked.

_Yeah, sure. I just think that I'll be takin a nap right bout now... _Rattata sighed.

_I'm definitely out of the fight, _Pidgey admitted.

Ash returned the pair to their pokéballs. He looked at Meowth.

_Shouldn't had a songbird and a rat attack a cat kid. Now.._. Meowth raised his paws and silver claws popped out. _Are you going to do this- GET BACK HERE YOU LITTLE BRAT!_

Out of pokémon, Ash did the only sensible thing.

He ran away, looking for a long blunt heavy object.

Ash ran into an office and glance around. There against the wall! Some sort of flat metal thing. They looked familiar, right, he recalled them from school. A metal folding chair. He grabbed it by its legs and then hid by the open door.

_You can't hide twerp!_ Meowth shouted, getting nearer. _I can smell you wherever you go. You can't escape from-_

Ash politely disagreed and communicated his disagreement.

Meowth had entered the office mid-sentence and was interrupted by Ash's counterpoint. Ash's language skills may have been lacking, but he could still hold his own in a spirited debate.

Ash's counterpoint sent Meowth flying into the far wall. Meowth's rebuttal left an indent in the chair, but it failed to do much else.

Ash took the opportunity to politely exit.

* * *

><p>Pikachu and his new set of minions found Ash trying to get back to the safe room. The group of pikachus had been hurtling through the pokémon center on a medical cart. Four pikachus pushed it from the back, while the other huddled together in a pile on the top. At the very front of the cart stood Ash's Pikachu, calling out directions with great enthusiasm and gusto.<p>

_Hi Ash! _His pokémon called out to him.

_Watch it! _Ash shouted.

_Oh, right. Guys BRAKE!_

They skidded to a halt in front of the spot Ash had vacated. The human boy had pressed himself up against the wall in an attempt to get out of the way of the vehicle.

_So how'd it go? _Pikachu asked Ash, while his brethren chattered among themselves excitedly.

_They were in the girl's room already, _Ash answered. _ I managed to knock out their pokemon though._

_Did you retrieve Misty's pokemon?_

_Crap! I left the Rocket humans in there with her pokemon! _Ash slapped his forehead. _I didn't realize that they didn't follow me. Arceus damnit!_

_Hey, watch the language, _Pikachu chided._ They're too young to hear that crap._

_Sorry, _Ash apologized._ But come on, we have to find them. They'll probably be heading towards the saferoom. We'll need to cut them off!_

_Perfect. Follow us. Helmspikachus! _Pikachu ordered._ Turn us around and then full speed ahead! _The four Pikachus in back saluted and proceeded to turn the cart around and start pushing it back the way it came. When it got up to speed, they hopped on the bottom. Ash ran alongside the commandeered medical equipment.

_We're going to need a plan. Pikachu, you feeling up to a fight yet? Or at least a Thunder?_

_Sorry, no can do,_ responded Ash's Pikachu. _I'm still tapped._

_What about your friends then? _Ash inquired._ If they all used Thunderbolt together-_

_No can do, they don't know it yet. _One of the pokecenter pikachus popped his head out of the pile and piped up. _But we've been practicing _it said. _But it's hard. The best we can do is a Thundershock that's a bit more powerful than usual._

_The problem is Ash, _his pokémon told him, _that the difference between Thundershock and Thunderbolt is how strongly we can, ummm, what did you call it? How we target things again?_

_Don't know the technical words. Let's just call it an electric lock-on, _Ash suggested._ You know, I'm going to need some more books on electricity soon. Hey now that I'm a trainer-_

_Ash, focus, _Pikachu chided._ Evil __pokémon_ _thieves remember? Thundershock relies on us making a single weak electric lock-on to our target so that some of the electricity we unleash will hit them. But there are usually several other naturally occurring lock-on points as well, so some of the electricity goes there. When we're good enough we can make sure it doesn't hit any allies, or at least make sure it only hits things in front of us. When we're really good we can lock on to multiple targets with Thundershock, or hit a target at several different points. Thunderbolt on the other hand, requires a strong electric lock-on, to control all that energy. It's essentially a stronger Thundershock, but with all the strikes combined into a single bolt. These guys here can't make a strong enough lock on to use Thunderbolt. In fact we can't risk them using Thundershock either, they're not good enough to avoid friendly fire._

Ash's mind raced faster than his body, furiously searching for ideas. He didn't know what other pokémon the Rocket's had, and the plan he had used with Rattata and Pidgey probably wouldn't work again. The group of pikachus could not help, and his own was too tired to fight...

Of course!

_Pikachu, what's the difference between Thunder and Thunderbolt? _Ash asked.

_Mainly discharge size, _Pikachu answered._ But you also have to be able to manage some control over the entire path for the electricity with Thunder. That's why we generally arc it and why it's less accurate. Why?_

_Cause I just had an idea, _Ash grinned.

_Your last one allowed me to hurl lightning bolts. I'm all ears._

_Can you make an electric lock-on strong enough to control their Thundershocks?_

_I could probably do that, if we all shared the same body, _Pikachu snarked._ Ya know, if we could do other impossible things. It's nearly impossible to target for someone else, ya know._

_But what if you didn't just do that, but you used the whole path controlling thing from Thunder to gather their electricity as well. Would that work?_

Pikachu thought about it for a moment, while the group reached a flight of stairs. The pikachus hurled over the top step, and flew down to the landing. Using quick changes in their arrangement, they managed to keep the cart level, so that it hit ground on all four wheels. The four pikachus in on the bottom kicked off the wall to turn the cart around and repeat the acrobatics on the second flight of stairs.

Ash followed in slack jawed amazement.

_How'd they-_

_They do cart races for fun when they're bored, _Ash's pokemon informed him, _but more importantly I think your idea could work. But we'll need some set up time._

_That's good, cause I have another idea._

* * *

><p>Jessie and James followed the trail of Acid and Smog to find their pokémon, taking Misty's backpack with them. They roused Koffing and Ekans, muttering soothing nothings to their injured pokémon as they woke them up and returned them to their pokéballs. Then the Rocket humans went looking for Meowth. It took them a bit longer, there was no trail of Special Attacks to follow, but they managed to locate the felonious feline nonetheless. They found him slumped against a wall and there was a metal chair with an imprint of his face nearby to tell them what had happened.<p>

James knelt down and gently shook Meowth. The cat pokemon muttered something. Jessie put her hand on Jame's shoulder and shook her head. She pulled James back, knelt down, then picked Meowth up by the scruff of his neck and began to slap him.

"WAKE UP! This is no time for a cat nap!" The red head yelled at the pokemon. Meowth woke up with a yelp. He tried to Scratch Jessie, but she dropped him instantly.

"What happened Meowth? How did that twerp managed to take you out, let alone Ekans and Koffing?" James asked.

"That little brat used a sneak attack! He had Pidgey ambush your guy's pokemon with Gust, blinded them with Koffing's own Smog, and then spammed Quick Attacks. Then he tried to take me by surprise, in mid banter! But that little twerp forgot that I'm the top cat!" Meowth said in the manner of humans.

"Looks like he got you in the end. You didn't reveal that you can talk, did you." observed James.

"Twerp really likes his sneak attacks. And no, I remembered the plan" said Meowth, rubbing his head.

"It seems like we've run into an excellent trainer" said Jessie thoughtfully, "and he's just starting..."

"We probably should try and recruit him to our evil cause" James stated, rubbing his chin. "Whose turn is it to get the presentation equipment?"

"Oh, and another thing" interjected Meowth. "There's something special about this one, I'll tell you guys later when things are calmer. But Rocket HR would probably give us a bonus if we recruited this guy."

"Interesting" said Jessie, "but you're right. We still need to steal all the center's pokemon before the teleporter comes back online. Let's get going."

The Rocket Trio found the saferoom door locked once more. Evidently the repairs for that section took less time than estimated. But it was of no matter, they had packed enough explosives to deal with this eventuality.

"Ya know" said Meowth, "we should probably give da Nurse a chance to open up."

"But then she'll know what we're up to and try to prepare" Jessie retorted.

"But if she doesn't know, she might get caught in the explosion" said James, "and I shouldn't need to tell you that it's rude to hit someone with an exploding metal door."

"Oh, I guess you're right" sighed Jessie, "it's more evil to be polite." She slammed her fist against the door a few times, and then shouted, "You've got one chance to open this door before we blow it up!"

They heard a gasp from inside, and some panicked noises followed by a synthesized female voice. The Rocket Trio waited a moment, and then shrugged.

"She heard us, good enough" said Meowth, turning back to work on planting the explosives.

"Hey!" A voice shouted from down the hallway "Wait you guys!" Jessie, James, and Meowth looked back to see the twerp from before rush down the hallway.

"What do you want?" Asked Jessie haughtily, putting down the explosives for a moment.

"I want to see about joining Team Rocket."

The thought that went through Jessie, James, and Meowth's head at the same time was: That was easy.

"Well, of course who wouldn't" said Jessie, preening her hair, "we're the best Team in the world."

"Stylish uniforms" said James.

"Adventurous lifestyle"

"Great food!"

"You get to go to exotic places!"

"Plenty of career opportunities!"

"Actually" Ash interrupted, "it's because you lot seem like good guys."

The Rocket Trio went deathly still at this.

"What" growled Jessie.

"Did" growled James.

"YOU CALL US!" They finished in furious unison.

"Good guys" replied Ash. "Real noble folk. I can see myself doing good around the world with you guys, righting wrongs, helping orphans, feeding the hungry, you know, that sort of thing."

With inarticulate screams of rage the Rocket Trio abandoned their work with the explosives, as well as Misty's backpack, and rushed the boy. Once more, Ash turned tail and ran away. He raced towards the lobby, making sure to stay just the right distance ahead of the terrible trio.

When he reached the lobby he found the cart full of pikachus waiting, all of their faces scrunched up in concentration. Small ribbons of electricity crackled about them. Pikachu still stood at the very front of the group.

As Ash ran behind them there were two flashes of white light.

_Not him again, _moaned Koffing.

_This probably isn't going to be good, _said Ekans taking in the sight of the lobby full of pikachus. Jessie, James, and Meowth slid to a halt behind the two poison pokémon.

"What do you think you can do with all those puny pokémon twerp?" Jessie taunted him, "They're not going to save you from having the stuffing beaten out of you."

"Yeah! How dare you sully our terrible reputations with such talk" James huffed, "the very nerve!"

"You know, you guys are probably want to go to a nerve specialist after this" Ash replied, "as well as several other medical professionals."

"After what?" asked James warily. Koffing hid behind him, and Ekans curled up into a ball.

"Just this. PIKACHU! MULTI MEGAVOLT PIKA CANNON!"

_You need to work on your naming skills, _Pikachu said, briefly looking sideways at his trainer._ NOW MY BRETHREN! LET THEM TASTE OUR ELECTRIC VENGENCE!_

A bright yellow light filled the room and the Pika-power was pumped to Pikachu. He gathered it around himself like a robe, occasional streamers of electric power popping off to scorch the floor. Red checks scrunched in concentration as Pikachu targeted the Rocket trio.

"Oh crap" stated Jessie.

"I think" said James.

"That."

"Team Rocket"

"Is about to"

"BLAST OFF!"

Pikachu let loose a long and loud cry. A giant bolt of electric energy issued forth from him. It crossed the room like a speeding striking snake and struck the Rockets. Coruscating yellow power flowed through the group, sparking and dancing from body to body in deranged circuits. Helpless within the grasp of the attack, Team Rocket writhed and groaned in pain. Koffing let out an involuntary burst of poisonous gas and the crackling power ignited it.

With a boom and in a column of smoke mixed with flames, Team Rocket was sent through the roof. Bits of plaster rained down on the pikachus and Ash.

_Shit, are they still alive! _The human boy rushed into the smoke as it cleared, looking for their bodies. But they were nowhere to be found. He looked around in a panic, desperately looking for either their bodies, or some signs of life. But it became a moot point when he heard a voice above him.

"We'll get you for that, you twerp!" Jessie called down, dangling on a rope hanging from their balloon. James and Meowth held on for dear life below her. The Rocket Trio scrambled up the rope and into their balloon, and then set off as fast as they could. Ash sighed in relief. He hadn't killed them after all. He would have to be more careful of that sort of thing in the future though.

Ash heard sirens in the distance.

It would figure that help would arrive too late. That sort of thing was responsible for the story of his life.

_Well _said Pikachu running up to his trainer, and then leaping on his shoulder, _that was fun. Now I don't think we've had breakfast yet..._

* * *

><p>"It was lucky that Aaron was there this morning" said Officer Jenny to Nurse Joy. It was dawn, and the mixed colors of the early sun painted the scene in their vibrant colors. Streams of of deeply golden light fell upon the two woman, through the hole in the ceiling, as they stood talking by Joy's computer.<p>

Various crews of humans and pokémon were working throughout the Viridian City pokémon center, fixing the damage caused by the early morning assault. Machokes and golems sifted through the rubble, technicians and electric pokémon fixed the wiring, and various officers and psychic pokémon searched for evidence that could be used to find Team Rocket.

"Indeed. He managed to drive off Team Rocket on his own. It was thanks to him that we managed to get all the pokémon to Pewter City" responded Nurse Joy, smiling in the dawn's light.

"And he saved Misty's pokémon. The girl will more to thank him for when she wakes up. Where is he by the way? I want to congratulate him."

"Oh, he took off right after breakfast. Something about his pokémon journey not waiting."

"That's too bad. Bet the girl will be disappointed about that."

"Yes, it is a shame. Of course before he left, I asked him about his plans and which Pokemon Center he plans to go to next. You know, as is procedure. Turns out Aaron wants to spend a few days training in the Viridian Forest before heading off to the Pewter City Pokemon Center."

"What does that have to do with this?" asked Jenny suspiciously.

"Oh, nothing. By the way could you go get someone to find a bike between here and Pallet Town?"

* * *

><p>Elsewhere in Viridan City, a red haired woman dressed in black, with small black sunglasses and a black beanie, sat sipping coffee in a cafe. Next to her, a similarly attired man with purpleblue hair sat reading a newspaper.

"Terrible Trio of Rockets Repelled by Lone Trainer" he read out loud. "Well at least they got their adjectives right."

"Kid's clever" replied Jessie "taunting us like that. He'd go far in Team Rocket."

"That's right" said Meowth from under the table. "I never told you that thing."

"What thing?" questioned James.

"You know that thing that would get us all bonus from Rocket HR if we recruited him" Meowth told the humans. "It's amazing! You know how I can talk human and all. Well this kid can understand pokemon and talk like us too!"

Jessie and James looked at each other.

"Just imagine the things he could do in Team Rocket" Jessie said, steepleing her hands.

"All that wonderful evil he could do" James said in awe.

They both broke out in evil grins.

"We must recruit him" James stated.

"Just think of the reward we'll get" said Jessie still grinning.

"We should probably keep this a secret" Meowth interrupted "until we actually get him to join. We don't want someone else poaching this opportunity."

"Of course, you're right Meowth" Jessie agreed, "but we'll have to start working on the presentation."

"I'll do the PowerPoint" James offered cheerfully, doing a closed eye smile.

"And I'll make the refreshments!" said Jessie cheerfully, also doing a closed eye smile.

"And I'll steal the projector this time" said Meowth grinning.

"And pamphlets" the trio said in unison, "we have to make pamphlets. Never forget the pamphlets!"

* * *

><p><em>Why didn't you stick around? <em>Pikachu asked his trainer as the duo walked through Viridian Forest. _They probably would've given you a medal back there._

_Why? I did what any trainer would've done back there._

_Are you sure you're not getting Pokemon Trainers and Pokemon Masters mixed up? Cause, you know, most trainers wouldn't be expected to defend a pokemon center from assault by their lonesome. Especially on their second day._

_Hey, I had lots of help, _Ash replied._ You and all those other Pikachus are the ones who really saved the day._

_I'd blush, but my cheeks are always red. Still, why didn't you hang around till Misty woke up?_

_How do you remember her name so easily?_Ash asked.

Pikachu graced his trainer with a haughty look. _Some of us take that little bit of extra effort to be polite. Not that an idiot like you would understand._

_Hey! Quite calling me an idiot. You've liked my ideas so far, haven't you?_

_Well, you've gotten lucky twice, _Pikachu grinned._ Anyway, she probably would've wanted to thank us._

_Again, it's not like I did anything special. You did all of the work._

_I told you that flattery will get you nowhere. But you carried her, while running, saving her from a murderous flock of Spearows, and then tried to stand up to an overpowered Fearow alone to protect her. You really don't consider that to be anything special? _Pikachu asked, giving Ash a suspicious look.

_... Is this a trick question?_

_Dammit Ash. _Pikachu's face met his palms.

* * *

><p>AN:Sorry about the delay, it's been a busy week.<p>

Please review. Feedback causes a writers brain to release pleasurable chemicals that encourage more writing. It also lets us know that someone's reading. And it helps us to improve, hearing about the things that worked and the things that didn't work.

Hopefully next week should be more productive. Viva Spring Break!

AN


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own pokémon

Touched up as of 5/28/2015

* * *

><p>Green leaves softly rustled in the breeze that caressed the forest as gently as a lover. Overhead, the summer sun shone brightly down upon the Viridian forest. It was an open forest- the undergrowth was small, and the trees did not struggle against one another for space and light as they were apt to do in other forests. Flying pokémon could be heard chirping as they went about their business and the earth beneath was soft but firm, not yet dried and cracked by summer's heat.<p>

In the forest there was a boy named Ash Ketchum, who carried a Pikachu on his shoulder, and was ready to wage battle upon the foe that stood before him. His gaze was determined and bespoke nothing of defeat, his stance was set to take on the world if he had to, and he held a pokéball in his hand with which he would smite the gods themselves if need be.

_Oh hi Ash! Is it true you've become a __poké__mon trainer? _Trilled the small green caterpie in front of him. _Is that why you've got a __poké__ball there? Is it? Is it?_

Ash deflated and Pikachu laughed at his trainer from his shoulder perch.

_Yes Caterpie, I've become a __poké__mon trainer _sighed Ash_._

_Cool! Can I come? Ple-e-ease!_

Ash deflated even more.

_Why do you seem so disappointed? Is it because you were hoping for a stronger pokémon? I'm sorry Ash_, said Caterpie, eyes trembling with tears not shed. _I'll go away now and quit bothering yo-_

_It's not that_, said Ash hurriedly. _I was just expecting an epic challenge and a pokémon battle first._

_An epic challenge? Ooh! Right! Ahem, _Caterpie cleared his throat._ Have at thee, human! The pokémon you have been training is no match for my epic might! I challenge thee to a battle, with my service as the reward for thine victory! Let us begin, human!_

_Much better! Thanks Caterpie. _Ash said with a smile.

_You are welcomed!_

_Pikachu, I choose you!_

The electric mouse gave his trainer a flat look.

_Of course you choose me_, Pikachu said. _You don't have any other pokémon. Probably 'cause they wouldn't put up with your idiocy like I do._

_Just go hit Caterpie with a Thundershock, would you, _Ash sighed.

_Oh, right_, said Caterpie, watching Pikachu leap towards him with apprehension. _I forgot about this bit._

There was a brief battle cry from Pikachu, a flash of yellow light, a crackling sound, and then Caterpie was lying on his back, small tendrils of smoke curling up off of his small green body.

_Ouch._

_Good job Pikachu! Now it's my turn! _shouted Ash, hurling the pokeball at the fallen bug pokémon. The sphere hit the bug and bounced off, opening up in midflight. Caterpie turned into a mass of red light that was sucked up into the balls which then fell to the ground. The white button in the center turned red and the pokéball rocked a few times. Bits of grass curled away from the ball, smoking and dying from the heat.

Then the ball was still. For a moment the button was still red but it soon faded back into its original white.

_Alright! I did it! I caught a __poké__mon! _Ash cheered.

_Excuse me? I think it should _we_ caught a __poké__mon, _Pikachu huffed, forelegs on his midsection.

_No, we beat him, but only the trainer throws the __poké__ball to catch the beaten __poké__mon. So I caught him._

_Oh fine. Have your moment, _Pikachu rolled his eyes.

_Thank you. I intend to. I CAUGHT CATERPIE!_

_..._

_..._

_Moment over?_

_Moment over._

_Good._

_Well, let's let him out_, said Ash, pressing the release button on the pokéball.

Caterpie appeared in a flash of white light.

_Ouch_, the small green pokémon said. _That was a good shot Pikachu._

_Thank you, thank you. One does one's best, _replied Pikachu bowing several times.

Caterpie turned to Ash, looking up at him with big round black eyes. Ash looked back. Silence followed.

_So, uh, what now? _Caterpie awkwardly asked, scuffing a bit of dirt with one of his many feet.

_I guess we keep going. I think I'll start training you guys when we stop and make camp, since I'll have to stop then to cook anyway, _Ash answered.

_Okay. Should I get back in the pokeball? _Caterpie asked.

_Nah you're small enough that you can just ride with Pikachu, _Ash said.

_I call the top! _Pikachu exclaimed.

_Aww... _sighed Caterpie.

_You can have it next time _said Pikachu, patting Caterpie. Then the yellow pokémon jumped on top of his trainer's head. Ash bent down and allowed Caterpie to crawl up his arm and onto his shoulder.

_So how's the journey been so far? Did you get into any battles yet! Beat any strong trainers? Conquer the Elite Four! Didya? Didya? Didya! _trilled Caterpie in excitement.

_Ah, no, not yet, at least, _Ash told his new pokémon. _We had a bit of trouble with some spearow, a fearow, and Team Rocket._

_I learned how to hurl lightning bolts at things! _Pikachu stated proudly. Caterpie looked up at him with awe.

_Really?_ Caterpie asked.

_Yep, _Pikachu said proudly,_ and it's all thanks to this idiot._

_So you can hit your enemies with gigantic bolts of lighting? _Caterpie trilled._ Blow them to smithereens!_

_Nope, only works when there's already a storm, _Pikachu answered._ Fried myself a bit doing it too. Gonna have to train to take care of it._

_Well, it's still cool_, said Caterpie. _Didya meet any nice people?_

_A nurse named Joy, an Officer named Jenny,_ answered Ash. _And some red-haired girl named… what was it again?_

_Misty_, Pikachu interrupted. _If you don't at least try to remember the names of the people you rescue, then you'll be the rudest rescuer ever._

_Well, it's easier to remember someone's name if you've actually talked to them, _Ash said, stopping himself from shrugging._ About the only conversation we've had was her telling me to run away._

_You've already rescued someone?_ interjected Caterpie. _Ash, you're awesome!_

_Thank you Caterpie, _Ash said._ We rescued her during that spearow and fearow business._

_Idiot told me to run away and save myself at one point_, Pikachu said grumpily. _So, just remember we shouldn't always obey him during incidents like those._

_It's not like we're going to run into a lot of stuff like that! _said Ash, chuckling. _…Right?_

_Yeah, probably not, _agreed Pikachu. _But I still felt that I should mention it. Anyway… _the electric mouse continued, turning to Caterpie. _What moves do you know?_

_Just Tackle and String Shot _replied Caterpie hanging his head in shame.

_String Shot. Perfect! _exclaimed Ash. _If we run into any psychic-types, it's your job to blind them. Actually, just how good are you with String Shot?_

_Nowhere near as good as Poison Lance, _stated Caterpie.

_Poison Lance puts out forest fires with his String Shot. It's a bit unfair to compare your String Shot to his_, Pikachu pointed out.

_You could give us a demonstration when we stop to camp for the night_, Ash told his green pokémon_. But I've already got a lot of ideas for training with String Shot._

_Really? _Caterpie perked up. _Cool. Why don't we stop now then?_

_'Cause I'd like to put a bit of distance between us and Viridian City, _Ash explained._ Too many questions being asked, too much attention being put on that place, and if we need more training, we can do that by Pewter City, so we can get to the pokémon center easier._

_Makes sense. So no dangerous training in the middle of nowhere? _ Caterpie asked, _no meditating on the tops of mountains, breaking rocks in the middle of the desert, no climbing cliffs one handed deep in the wilderness, or anything like that?_

_If we do anything like that, it will be with easy access to advanced medical assistance, or not at all, _Ash stated. _I'm not stupid._

_Coulda fooled me, _said Pikachu.

* * *

><p>Night fell and it dragged the temperature down with it. Ash almost forgot to start a fire. He still was not used to not having to stay hidden. No longer would he have to worry about being discovered if he started a fire; if anyone came they'd only find a pokémon trainer on their journey, one named Aaron Autumns, not the dead Ash Ketchum. He could have a hot meal every night the weather allowed for fire, not only when both he and Poison Lance were sure that no one would discover him.<p>

Ash supposed that he should be happy. A bit of life had just opened up for him, but actually the realization made him feel strange. It was the fault of the geography. The Viridian Forest had been part of his limited world before he had started his journey, and so he still felt pavlovian shivers as he warmed up his (stolen) prepackaged camp dinner.

Still, at least he would sleep soundly tonight, and probably the next night. He was still sleeping in the area he considered to be his home, or perhaps more accurately, his house. The night in the Viridian City pokémon center had been like sleeping in the dark basement in a sense- he couldn't see the usual stars that shone in the clear night skies or the soft multicolored light that Poison Lance used when the small lights of night failed. The room seemed so claustrophobic in retrospect, compared to his usual shelters, but that had not bothered him. It wasn't any property of the room that had bothered him, but rather the absence of a property that had disturbed him. But Ash could not tell what had been missing.

The upcoming night would be no different than many that had come before. Ash had slept out in the open, curled up with several friends who had watched over him for Poison Lance when the weedle could not be there. And then they'd wake and play in the mornings and he'd tell Poison Lance all about their activities when he saw the weedle later in the morning as he always did after such nights...

Ash shook his head to clear out all the unnecessary thoughts, and served his food onto a metal camping dish. He sat on a stump and started to munch as he watched Pikachu and Caterpie frolic about the campsite.

He offered them a piece of meat.

_Thanks, but we're both vegetarians, _Pikachu told him. _In fact I don't know if we can physically have meat._

_Right. I'm pretty sure that I packed some fruit or vegetables in here... _Ash began to search through his bag. _ No, that's not it... not it either... Ahah! Here they are!_

Ash pulled out an apple and a bag of spinach. He offered the apple to Pikachu who took it with glee. Ash then opened the bag and offered Caterpie some spinach. The small green pokémon wasted no time in chomping down on the leaves.

The trio ate their dinner in companionable silence. When they were finished, Ash cleaned up and put away all the equipment. Then he stood up and clapped his hands together.

_Alright, time for training!_ The boy declared.

_Right after we ate? Nice timing idiot, _Pikachu said to Ash, glaring.

_Sorry, _Ash scratched the back of his head. _I'll have to remember to do this earlier from now on. But we can do a little training right now, right?_

_Sure Ash!_ Caterpie trilled. _What should we start with?_

_Right now, can I just see a demonstration of your String Shot, on that tree right there? Let's go for widest coverage first._

The tree soon turned white.

_That's excellent! _Ash exclaimed. _Your String Shot's the best I've seen besides Poison Lance's! You're a very talented Caterpie._

_Thanks, _Caterpie replied bashfully.

_Now, let's check strength. Could you attach a nice thick rope to that branch there?_

Caterpie missed. He tried again. He missed. He tried a couple more times, but missed each one.

_Alright, so your accuracy needs some work, _said Ash._ That's what we'll do tonight, since we're taking it easy. Just practice trying to hit that branch for a while okay? Tomorrow we'll start on the cool stuff, but that'll require some accuracy anyway._

_Sure, Ash! _Caterpie trilled.

_And Pikachu, _Ash turned to his other pokémon,_ I already know what we should do with you._

_Feed and pamper me! _Pikachu smirked.

_Ha ha ha._

_It was worth a try._

_Sure, _Ash rolled his eyes._ Now, anyway, if you want to do that lightning trick again, you're going to have to work on your ability to control the electricity's path. So, what we're going to do is this..._

Ash searched around the campsite for a bit, looking for a stone. When he found one, he put it slightly behind and slightly to the side of a tree.

_Okay, what you're going to do is stand in front of this tree and try to hit that rock there with Thunder, _Ash explained._ But you're not allowed to hit the tree. You're going to have to curve your attack around it. You can use Thundershock if using Thunder that much would tire you out too quickly, but the same rules apply._

_Fine. What training are you going to be doing while we're doing this? _Pikachu asked.

_Huh? _Ash tilted his head._ Why would I be doing training?_

_'Cause it's too dark to read _Pikachu told his trainer. '_cause we're not going to stand for you lazing about while we're working our tails off, and because you never know when you could need it. As yesterday proved._

_Alright, I guess, _Ash said, browsing through his memories for anything on humans training themselves. _I guess I could do some pushups or something..._

_Guess nothing! _A flash of yellow light and the crackle of electricity punctuated his words. A smoking branch fell to the ground, and Pikachu glared at it.

Ash chuckled and then went off to do his own exercises. It did seem fair, and it would give him something to do.

* * *

><p>The three of them were curled up together- Ash in his sleeping bag by the stump, and the other two lay by his head.<p>

_I forgot to ask, _Ash started. _Caterpie, why'd you want to come with us? You do realize we'll be leaving the Viridian Forest and going to a lot of far away places that you may not like, right?_

_Yeah _replied the bug pokemon. _But that's okay. A lot of those places will be fun! Besides, going with a __poké__mon trainer is the best way to get strong. Everybody knows that._

_But why do you want to get strong? _Ash continued his inquiry._ I can't really imagine you having much trouble from any flying-types or other predators with a String Shot like yours._

Caterpie mumbled something.

_What did you say? I didn't catch that._

_I want wings, _muttered Caterpie, louder this time.

_Wings? Oh, you mean you want to evolve. _

_Yeah, I want to become a Butterfree and fly, _said Caterpie looking up wistfully at the moon. _I mean being a Caterpie is okay and all, but we're stuck here on the ground, in this one forest the whole time we're in these forms, unless a trainer catches us. And there are a lot of things that eat us. I want to do more things than just eat and hide in this forest. But I'm afraid._

_Of what? _Ash asked.

_...Of being a metapod._

_What's so scary about being a Metapod? _Pikachu asked, raising his head to look at Caterpie over Ash's body.

_Well for one thing they can't move very well, _Caterpie answered. _And the only move they know is Harden. Most caterpies who try to become butterfrees don't make it past the metapod stage. They get eaten instead. And they say caterpies that aren't strong enough get stuck as metapods when they try to evolve._

_Well you're plenty strong, _Ash told his pokemon. _I'm sure you'll be able to become a butterfree. And I promise that no one's going to eat you, okay?_

_Yeah,_ Pikachu piped in. _I'll zap any flying-type who tries! And you're strong enough that you could just blast right through the Metapod stage in a flash._

_Thanks guys,_ Caterpie said, somewhat embarrassed by their encouragement. _But I'm not sure how strong is strong enough. I need to get stronger first, to be sure._

_How strong is strong enough? _Ash questioned, _I think you're already strong enough. If you keep waiting, saying 'ater, when I'm stronger', you'll never take the chance._

_Bu-But… But I could be stuck as a metapod, _Caterpie replied, horrified. _I'd almost rather be eaten._

_I don't think it works like that, _Ash stated._ But even if it does, how do you know how strong 'strong enough' is? You're already a strong __poké__mon, your String Shot is plenty powerful, if lacking a bit in the accuracy department. You don't have to evolve unless you're comfortable with it, but since you want to become a butterfree, you'll want to think about what I said. Alright Caterpie?_

_...Okay Ash._

_Alright, now let's all get some sleep, _declared Pikachu, lying back down, foreleg splayed across Ash. _I'm exhausted. I don't know how you two are still awake._

_My stomach feels weird, _Ash admitted. _I am definitively not training right after dinner again._

_Well, we'll help with the nightmares then, whenever you fall asleep, _Caterpie said, snuggling up to his trainer.

_I almost wish I had nightmares on an upset stomach. I get surreal dreams where everyone is talking food._

_If I wake up to find you gnawing on me, I'm going to electrocute you._

* * *

><p>They set out next morning, strolling through the familiar paths of the Viridian Forest during another fine sunny day. Caterpie got to ride on Ash's head that day, and Pikachu lounged on his trainer's shoulder. They chatted about various small pieces of nonsense as they traveled, trading the last bits of local pokémon gossip that they would be able to get for a long time. Pewter City was only a day or two away and after they reached the city they could no longer say that they were still home. Still, new lands, and new adventures awaited them, as did new pokémon, like that pidgeotto that was descending rapidly towards them.<p>

The flying type alighted on a branch on a nearby tree and cawed at Ash.

_Come on, trainer! _It chirped._ I'm right here! You know you want to try and catch me. Now send out that delicious looking caterpie to fight me..._

_I can hear that you know, _Ash replied, looking the bird like Pokémon in the eye.

Pidgeotto peered at the human for a moment.

_Oh, hi Ash, _she said. _ Sorry I didn't recognize you, but I've been out of the area for a couple years. So you've become a __poké__mon trainer now?_

_Yep, and you just challenged me to a fight… when I have an electric pokémon on my shoulder, _Ash pointed out.

_Well I'm faster than most of the local pikachus, I was hoping to snag the caterpie and leave before you could recall him. He's really tasty-looking, _Pidgeotto said, licking her beak.

_Could you quit talking about eating me? _Caterpie squeaked. _It's going to be disturbing when we have to work together later._

_Why would we be-… Oh right, I just challenged a pokémon trainer to a battle. This is going to hurt isn't it…_

_A bit, _replied Ash. _But it's your fault for both underestimating me and underestimating Pikachu. Pikachu, if you would do the honors with a Thunderbolt?_

_Of course, _Pikachu said. He jumped off his trainer and at the flying-type. With a battle cry he let loose a Thunderbolt that knocked Pidgeotto out of the tree. She fell to the ground, small ribbons of electricity still crackling around her. Ash threw a pokeball at the downed pokemon and Pidgeotto turned to red light that was sucked into the ball.

The sphere rocked for a few moments and then went still.

_I caught Pidgeotto! _Ash exclaimed, holding up the pokéball.

_Thanks Ash, Pikachu, _said Caterpie. _Now I won't have to worry about her eating me!_

_She'll probably still be hungry when we let her out, though. Let me find where I put the berries... Aha! Here they are. Let's let her out now, I've still got an open shoulder._

He hit the release button and Pidgeotto reappeared.

_Ouch, _she stated deadpan._ Well that was an experience I never hope to repeat._

_Just be glad that I didn't ask him to use Thunder, _Ash told the singed flying pokémon. _And that's what you get for trying to eat Caterpie here._

_Alright. But I've traded in eating a Caterpie for being guaranteed regular meals by my trainer, so I think I've won in this situation. Speaking of which..._

Ash handed his new pokémon some berries.

_Thanks. _And then Pidgeotto gleefully chowed down on the offered food. She finished a few seconds later and then looked up at Ash.

_So what now? _She asked.

_Just hop on my free shoulder for now._

Pidgeotto complied. She then turned to the Caterpie on Ash's head.

_No hard feelings, right? _Pidgeotto said, turning to the bug type.

_As long as you don't try and eat me again, _Caterpie answered.

_Of course not, we're comrades now. Anyway so how's the trip been? _

Ash and Pikachu glanced at each.

_Like you wouldn't believe_ they said in unison.

* * *

><p>"Alright" James began. "Does everyone have the plan down?"<p>

"Of course!" said Jessie. "Such a brilliant plan deserves no less than our full attention."

"This plan is perfect," Meowth added. "Even if the twerp has caught alot of new pokémon, they'll all be too weak to help now."

"And knowing the local distribution of pokémon we can be confident that he has a pidgey or a spearow" James explained. "And if he doesn't we've got counter measures ready for any other pokémon he could have caught and an alternative means of distributing the dust. Right, Koffing?"

_Right James, _Koffing answered, but only Meowth understood what he said.

"You know your part as well Ekans?" Jessie asked, turning to her purple poison pokémon.

_Of course Jessie, _Ekans replied, nodding.

"Now we just need to wait here," James said, indicating the main Viridian Forest path as he spoke. "And wait for him to come by. And keep an eye on our equipment, in cases he trips a sensor while taking a different path."

"And if he gets past us, we've got the Pewter City pokémon center bugged, so we can just get him there," Jessie said gleefully. "Of course, I'll have to make another batch of hors d'oeuvre for the presentation, but we can steal an auditorium if it's in Pewter."

"Yep. And once he hears about the career paths, promotion opportunities, job satisfaction, and our wonderful facilities, he'll join Team Rocket!" said James gleefully.

"I can't wait to see what the HR department gives us as a bonus for recruiting him!" Meowth stated, rubbing his paws together greedily.

Something in James's pocket beeped. He reached into his pocket and pulled out some gadget. The purple haired man studied it for a second. Then he turned to his comrades.

"Alright, I've got his position. Let's take our places and get our new member."

* * *

><p>The quartet consisting of Ash, Pikachu, Caterpie and Pidgeotto were wandering down a path, idly chatting amongst themselves, and getting to know their new addition.<p>

Pidgeotto had recently come back from the Fuschia City area, where she had been living for a while. Evidently, flying-type pokémon were well-liked in the area, and there was a nearby coast that was perfect for catching magikarp. She had decided to head back to the Pallet Town area to visit some old friends before striking out to new lands. It was for this reason that she had felt comfortable in challenging a beginning trainer, as, in the eventuality that she was caught, they would take her to these new lands. So, Pidgeotto had no regrets on how things turned out.

It was during this time that they unknowingly wandered by a small piece of machinery that noted their presence and sent that information along.

Ash and his pokémon were still talking amongst themselves, the noon day sun nearing the top of its arc- when there was a flash of light. Ash and company averted their eyes as bright rays assaulted their optic nerves.

"Well, well, well. Fancy running into you again twerp," a high pitched and haughty female voice said.

"Indeed," a man said airily. "Just after you made a mess of our operation in Viridian City."

"I know those voices," Ash said, feeling the light die down.

"Indeed you should," Jessie told him.

"After all," James continued. "You should."

"Prepare for trouble" Jessie exclaimed.

"Make it double" James declared.

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all peoples within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth, that's right!" Meowth finished, jumping up from between James and Jessie.

"You taught your Meowth to say a phrase to finish your motto instead of training him to battle?" Ash stated, deadpan. "What a waste of time."

"Not all of us can talk to pokémon like you, Ash," James told the boy, taking a sniff of his rose.

"And we didn't teach him to say that," Jessie said condescendingly.

"I taught myself to speak human a long time ago," Meowth told Ash, who had gone as white as a bed sheet.

"Y-… Y-You know?" Ash stuttered in a whisper, eyes dilating.

It is exceedingly difficult to describe what one feels when one of their and their loved ones worst fears is fully realized. The sensation of one's insides dropping into a bottomless, endless, cold, and absolutely black void. Imaginary walls closing in, squeezing one's heart into a frantic beat, and squashing one's mind into sheer panic. Life flees one's limbs and despite the awful bouncing energy within you, you cannot make a single move. You only stand because you were standing before, and you will fall soon. Your future is cut off from you now, shattering into pieces and following your insides into the void. Life becomes grey in an instant and what is left of your function mind has forgotten everything but the fear.

This is what happened to Ash when he found out that Team Rocket, the villains of Poison Lance's stories, had discovered his secrets. He took a step back. And then another. And one more. Team Rocket started to advance on the boy.

Pikachu, Caterpie, and Pidgeotto all leapt from Ash's shoulder and put themselves between him and his foes.

"Twerp call off your pokémon. We need you to come with us" James said, looking down at the boy.

"Yes. We have such nice plans for you" Jessie said, her evil smile betraying nothing of her thoughts about showing off her hors d'oeuvre, any more than James's haughty evil expression betrayed his pride at the power point presentation he had made earlier detailing the joys of Team Rocket membership.

_I'm afraid... _Pikachu stated, glaring at the trio, his cheeks sparking angrily. _That he's not going anywhere with you._

_"_That's what you think," Meowth rebutted. "But you're nothing but cat food, mouse."

"That's right," James added, "You won't need your pokémon, not where you're going." He was thinking of the campsite where the presentation and the refreshments awaited.

"Oh, and won't headquarters be so thrilled to learn about you," Jessie said gleefully.

"You mean they haven't yet?" Ash's mind restarting at the slightest glimmer of hope.

"Of course not," James said, nose in his rose. "We wouldn't want anyone poaching you from us now, would we?"

Right. Then there was still hope. He had his friends with him, and he had the slightest possibility of victory. There was no way that he could lose now. He just needed to subdue these Rockets and then turn them into the Pewter City police.

_Pikachu Thunder!_

"Dodge!" shouted Meowth, and all of the Rockets vacated the area. Pikachu's column of electricity hammered the ground where they had stood, blasting up dust and debris.

"Koffing, Smokescreen!" James commanded from behind a tree. He reached down and grabbed a bag that he had stashed there.

_Understood! _replied Koffing, coming out from behind the tree that he had been hiding behind. The purple gasbag floated out and started belching out smoke.

_Like that'll work. Pidgeotto, Gust!_

Pidgeotto flapped her wings and took flight, soaring towards the smoke. She pulled up and came to an aerial stop before the smoke. With a final mighty flap of her wings, Pidgeotto unleashed a miniature tornado at the cloudbanks, winds catching dust and smoke in their greedy wrath.

"Now!" Jessie called out, throwing a bag at the tornado. James did likewise at her signal. Winds sucked the bags into the vortex and spilled their contents. Glittering dust was carried on the swirling air currents and scattered all over the forest and the skies above.

"Ha!" James exclaimed, returning to his previous position. Jessie and Meowth did likewise, and the three of them took up their usual poses once more.

_Wow. They're weird. Pikachu, another Thunder if you please._

_Of course. Taste my electricity, Rocket scum!_ A massive discharge of electricity surged from Pikachu and into the air. But instead of arcing towards the Rockets, it started to split into several bolts that randomly scattered into the air. The main bolt corkscrewed up for a moment before coming down someone in the forest to the side of the path.

_Pikachu, what's wrong? _Ash kept his eyes on the villains.

_I don't know. What's that sparkly stuff in the air? It feels weird._

_"_What did you do to Pikachu," Ash demanded of the Rocket trio.

"Nothing at all," James replied. "We didn't do anything at all to your pokémon."

"Normally, it's bad form to explain your plans to your foe, but in this case I think its acceptable," Jessie began. "You see that glittering dust in the air? Well it is quite simply a collection of ionized conductive metal pieces ground into a fine powder. It's perfect for reducing the accuracy of your pikachu to nil."

"We had been counting on you having a flying-type pokémon" James continued. "So you could repeat the tactic that you used on poor Koffing last time. We would've had to have Koffing spread it instead, if it turned out that you didn't have one."

"But I must say, your pikachu is impressively strong. Either you got an unusual pokémon, or you're simply that good of a trainer." James picked up where Jessie left off. "It's lucky that we decided to take countermeasures against him ahead of time. But that pidgeotto is a bit of a surprise. We had been expecting a pidgey or a spearow. But it doesn't -

_Pidgeotto Quick Attack Koffing! _Ash shouted._ Pikachu get an Agility and Quick Attack combo ready and engage Meowth. Be careful he's stronger than he looks. Caterpie, stay with me, they've also got an ekans and I don't know what else, so we'll have to watch out for that._

Pidgeotto blurred towards Koffing and impacted against the poison-type. Koffing tumbled through the air and Pidgeotto prepared to repeat the move.

Meanwhile Pikachu used the speed granted to him by his Agility to disappear from sight and launched a Quick Attack at Meowth from behind the Scratch Cat pokémon's head. But a second after Pikachu disappeared, Meowth ducked and Pikachu went right over his head.

"Nice try, but a mouse should never try and take an experienced cat by surprise!" Meowth taunted Pikachu, who had skidded to a halt only a inches away from hitting a tree.

Meanwhile Pidgeotto sped towards Koffing, who had not yet recovered from the initial assault. It was then Jessie made her move.

"Now Ekans!" she ordered the out of sight pokémon. Ground cracked and the earth spit out the snake pokémon. Ekans hit Pidgeotto, right under her chin, and sent the flying-type spinning out of control. Pidgeotto only managed to regain flight stability a second before crashing into the earth and had to bank sharply to avoid a tree. By this time Koffing had recovered and was chasing down Pidgeotto.

"Koffing, use Sludge!" James told his pokémon. Koffing began spit toxic sludge at Pidgeotto. Where the brown goo fell upon the grass, the grass withered and died. Pidgeotto was forced to go into a desperate climb to the left.

_Pidgeotto counter his next attack with Gust and then Quick Attack through the eye as it fades!_

_Got it Ash! _Pidgeotto shouted in reply. She unleashed another tornado to catch the blast of toxic sludge and then sped through the empty center of the dying attack.

"Ekans, stop Pidgeotto with Acid!" Jessie ordered her pokémon. Ekans hissed in acknowledgement and spewed a spray of green liquid between Koffing and Pidgeotto. The flying-type was forced to bank to avoid, and skimmed the grass as she fought to keep control of her flight.

Ash groaned and looked over at Pikachu and Meowth. Pikachu was using his Agility to avoid Meowth's attacks, but he couldn't get a clean hit in on Meowth. The normal-type had enough experience to guess where Pikachu would be attacking from, and knew how to roll off an impact. Pikachu on the other hand was sporting some small red scratches on various parts of his body from when Meowth had gotten in a counter-attack.

_Pikachu, just keep him busy! Don't take any risks! _Ash called out, cursing the situation. The meowth was too good for Pikachu to take on without his electricity. And Pidgeotto was busy being double teamed by Ekans and Koffing. She was forced to use evasive maneuvers to keep Sludge from hitting her, and any time she tried to attack Koffing, Ekans used Acid to drive her away.

Caterpie he needed to keep in reserve, the Bug Type wasn't fast enough for this sort of battle, and his String Shot was not accurate enough to reliably blind either of the purple poisonous pokémon... Wait... there was an idea.

_Pidgeotto! Blind Ekans with a Sand-Attack! _Ash cried out.

_Right,_ replied Pidgeotto with a nod. She dived low, flipping over to her left to avoid a Sludge attack, and pulled out at the very last second. Like a dart, she rushed towards Ekans, the grass rippling in her wake. Closing her wings, and narrowing her profile, she picked up a bit of extra speed before landing right before Ekans, and skidding to a halt. Pidgeotto dug her talons into the ground as she stopped, and used her momentum to kick up alot of dirt and dust into Ekans' face.

The purple pokémon hissed in frustration as it spewed another Acid at the flying-type that did not come anywhere close to Pidgeotto.

_Now, Gust and Quick Attack on Koffing again!_

Once more winds caught the poisonous goo and Pidgeotto sped through the attacks. But James had been waiting for this.

"Quickly Koffing, use Smog" His pokémon began to belch out toxic smoke as Ash's pokémon neared it. Koffing took the Quick Attack, and was sent spinning like a levitating top, but Pidgeotto had inhaled some of the poison. She fell to the ground, coughing, and trying to recover from the attack.

"Koffing use Sludge to blind that bird!" James commanded, triumph in his voice. A spray of brown ooze finally hit Pidgeotto, covering her eyes.

_Keep them closed! _Ash ordered quickly. _Don't let any of the poison in. Get back here now._

_I can still fight _Pidgeotto protested. She attempted to prove this by launching herself at Koffing. But Koffing bobbed up and then slammed down on Pidgeotto. She fell to the ground once more. Ekans then head-butted her from the side. Pidgeotto stumbled.

_Pidgeotto get back here! _Caterpie let out a gasp as the bird pokémon was hit with another attack, and Ash had an idea.

_Pikachu, keep Meowth as busy as you can! _Ash shouted. _Pidgeotto, get back here, I've got an idea! Come to my voice!_

Pidgeotto drunkenly flapped over towards Ash.

"Ekans! Finish off that bird!"

"Koffing! Take it down!"

The duo of purple poison pokémon rushed after the wounded Flying Type, just as Ash wanted. Meowth tried to shout a warning, but Pikachu had started to attack him ferociously, leaving him with no time to warn his comrades.

Ekans and Koffing both drew within striking distance of Pidgeotto, who was helpless against them in her current condition.

_Pidgeotto down now! _Ash ordered. _Caterpie String Shot them both!_

The flying-type dropped low to the ground as Caterpie jumped off of Ash's head and somersaulted between Pidgeotto and her attackers. His small body uncurled and he let loose a blast of sticky silk. Koffing and Ekans tried to dodge, but their own haste to finish off Pidgeotto had betrayed them. Ekans curled up into a ball to stop any of the silk from getting into its mouth and Koffing made sure to increase the gas pressure around every opening to avoid suffocation.

Caterpie's attack mummified both poison pokémon and they soared past Caterpie on either side of the small green pokémon.

_Caterpie hit Koffing with a focused String Shot! And then use that to use Tackle!_

At his trainer's command Caterpie spun around as he landed, and shot a silken rope at the out of control Koffing. Last night's accuracy training had come in handy and the sticky strands of string struck and stuck. When the string went taunt physics then took over, yanking Caterpie off the earth and reversing Koffing's uncontrolled flight.

Caterpie lowered his head and set his flying body in a determined posture. He slammed into Koffing and let go of the silk during that midair collision. Like a soccer ball, Koffing was sent through the air and into a tree.

A beam of red light touched upon the bound pokémon and then there was only a pile of silk left.

Ekans hit the ground to the right of Ash and immediately began to free itself using its fangs. As it thrashed and tore at its silken bonds, Ash picked up Pidgeotto and pointed her at Ekans.

_Just use Gust straight in front of you, _Ash gently told his newest pokémon, setting her down with care.

_Alright. _Pidgeotto's tone did not fit with the fury of her next attack. The miniature tornado furiously tore up the earth, gouging a wound in the forest floor, as it whirled towards Ekans. The purple poison pokémon just managed to break free when it was sucked up into the vortex and turned into a rag doll by Pidgeotto's winds. It was smashed into a tree and held their by the merciless winds that began to uproot the plant, before a beam of red light touched it and recalled it.

"Enough of this!" Meowth exploded, unleashing a maddeningly fast series of Fury Swipes, forcing Pikachu to take refuge in a tree branch. The cat pokémon then turned to Ash, Caterpie, and Pidgeotto. In the manner of a great cat he pounced towards the group, to claw and bite, and bring down them all down.

Caterpie moved himself between his friends and the attacking cat and unleashed another spray of String Shot. But in a flash of silver Meowth clawed through the silk and landed in front of the startled bug-type pokémon. Claws raised to unleash a devastating series of Fury Swipes on the Caterpie before him, Meowth paused for a second. Something was tugging on his tail.

Meowth turned around, and there was Pikachu, casually holding Meowth's tail and glaring at the normal-type pokémon.

_I don't need to be accurate to do THIS! _Pikachu exclaimed, letting loose an electric attack. There was no need to target and there was no way for the Rocket counter-measures to stop him from letting an electric attack flow into Meowth. The attack turned Meowth into a sentient puppet at the mercy of electric strings. Meowth jerked and twitched in a bizarre jig as yellow electricity covered him. Only when Pikachu was satisfied did he let Meowth collapse to the ground. Using Agility once more he disappeared from sight and reappeared just a good bit away from Meowth.

Pikachu grinned, and then used Quick Attack one more time. One second Meowth was sitting on the ground and Pikachu was standing on all four legs in another spot and then, in a time shorter than the time it takes to blink, Pikachu stood where Meowth had been and Meowth was flying towards the Rocket humans.

Jessie caught Meowth with one hand. She turned to James, who looked at her. They both nodded.

"Now are we going to have to do this the hard-" Ash started to taunt the Rockets, but they had taken off into the woods, dropping smoke bombs behind them.

_Damnit, they got away _Ash cursed. _Still, from what they were saying earlier, they shouldn't spread word about me to the rest of the Rockets. We're still safe._

_And from the looks of it, _Pikachu added, _they'll keep coming after you until they get what they want, so we're going to have more chances to stop them and turn them into the police. Course it'll give em more chances to get you._

_Just to be sure, we'll have to try and avoid the spotlight, _Ash grimaced._ It'll make it harder for them to track us and I don't want to risk more people finding out about me. Anyway, good job everyone. I think we can skip training tonight that was enough of a work out. But there are some things we're going to have to work on. Pidgeotto-_

_I'm sorry, _Pidgeotto said, not meeting Ash's eyes. _I should have come back when you told me to. I just made things worse by trying to fight like that._

_It's okay, you were just trying to help,_ Ash told her, patting the top of her head. _But we're going to be training you on how to fight blind. I don't want any of those tricks working again, and we can probably use fighting blind to help with a new variation of Sand-Attack._

_Caterpie_ the pokémon trainer said, turning to the bug-type. _You were awesome back there! It was thanks to you that we were able to take out Ekans and you took out Koffing by yourself there at the end. You managed to beat a Poison Type by yourself, you should be feeling really good about yourself now!_

_You're right Ash,_ Caterpie said, _and I've been thinking about what you said before. I know just how to celebrate this._

Caterpie looked up and let loose a fountain of String Shot. Silk rose up and then showered upon him, flowing around his body, and giving Caterpie a new shape, until Caterpie was Caterpie no longer.

In his place stood Metapod.

_Like it? _Metapod asked nervously.

Ash simply picked up the bug and hugged him.

* * *

><p>"The twerp is very good," James reflected from the campsite, where he sat eating Jessie's refreshments. No use in letting them go to waste after all. "We definitely don't want the League getting this one. "<p>

"Team Rocket deserves such a fine trainer, with an ability that could do so much evil, far more than the League does!" Jessie agreed, packing up the presentation equipment. "But we'll have more chances to recruit him."

"And that Pikachu is unusually strong," Meowth added. "When we recruit Ash we'll get that Pikachu as a bonus."

"If we every confront him in public we should probably use his fake name," James told the group. "Just to be safe. His real name might be important- we should keep an ear out for any information about an Ash."

"What did he go by again?" Jessie pondered, "'Arnold', 'Arthur', 'Adam'... right it was 'Aaron'!"

"And next time, if it looks like he's gaining the upper hand, we should try and stuff some pamphlets and brochures in his bag or something, so that it won't be a waste of time!" Meowth suggested. "And it'll mean we might not have to use force the time after that."

"You know, Jessie, these are pretty good" said James between snacks.

"Thanks, it's been a while and I wasn't sure if I could still make them right' Jessie admitted."So what are we going to try next?"

"Well I've got a few a ideas" James said slyly.

"And I've got some nasty inspiration" Jessie responded, smiling evilly.

"And I've got the cunning to make it work" Meowth added.

"The twerp better be prepared to fight!"

Ash and his pokémon were settling down for the night, Metapod and Pikachu taking the places they had taken last night, and Pidgeotto roosting on a nearby branch.

_You sure you don't want to sleep in your pokeball? _Ash asked the bird. _Since you're not with me up there, it would be safer._

_Nah. There's not much in the forest that would mess with a Pidgeotto _the flying-type responded. _When we get to some of the more dangerous areas, ask me again._

_Alright _Ash replied, and then crawled into his sleeping bag. He yawned. _Just think -in two days we'll be in Pewter City and then we can try for our first gym badge. And then it's off through Mt. Moon and off to Cerulean City for another badge. This is really happening right?_

_Right,_ replied Pikachu. _Don't worry my idiot, you aren't imagining things. Now let's all get some sleep, if we plan on trekking and training tomorrow we'll need the rest._

And so the group went to sleep, one of the last nights they would ever spend home for a long while.

* * *

><p>AN: That chapter was harder to write than I anticipated.<p>

I'd like to thank Selm and Nauran for Beta Reading.

Please review. Feedback is a writer's crack, only it doesn't cost money, and we don't get arrested for getting some. And we don't snort it. In fact it's nothing at all like crack, forget that metaphor.

The chapter is about a quarter of the way finished right now and hopefully it will be easier to write than this one.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own pokémon .

* * *

><p><em>Thank Arceus, I thought we'd never get out of that forest! <em>Ash exclaimed, emerging from the Viridian Forest, where the path widened and turned by a series of ledges leading down into Pewter City. It was a wet morning and the city below was covered in waves and surges of mist that swirled about the short buildings that jutted out all over the landscape below.

_I know. That stupid samurai set us back by a week, _Pikachu complained from atop Ash's head. _And he insisted that everything was your fault. Despite the fact that he was the one who started the whole thing. You're not that much of an idiot._

_Well, at least _one _good thing came of it, _Butterfree said, hovering to Ash's right. _Well, __two__ things if you count Pidgeotto learning that type advantages don't always guarantee victory. _

_Hey, I beat that pinsir in the end, _Pidgeotto replied from Ash's left shoulder. _Lucky for us those eedrill recognized Ash._

_But then he dragged us away and got us lost. Lost in the Viridian Forest, _Pikachu continued to gripe. _And we couldn't ask anyone for help getting our bearings with him around. And then there was all that-that, that _stuff_ on the third day! I'm glad we were finally able to ditch him after the second beedrill incident. Oh, and nice timing on the evolution there Butterfree, that was a sweet save of the situation._

_A butterfly does what a butterfly can,_ Butterfree replied modestly. _By the way, Pidgeotto, is flying always this awesome? Cause it's better than I anticipated, and that's not usually the way it works._

_I generally find flying to be so, it's just we flying-types don't talk about it, so other pokémon don't get jealous._

While his pokémon talked, Ash climbed up on a large rock near the ledge and took in the sight of a new city. Pewter City marked the start of unfamiliar territory and new lands. His journey as Ash Ketchum/Aaron Autumns began back in Pallet Town, but his journey as a pokémon trainer would really start here, with his first badge.

He looked down, preparing to take the ledges down instead of the path, and nearly tripped when he saw a man sitting where he had been about to jump. Ash let out a little sound of confusion as he regained his balance, causing the man to look up.

"Ah, a newcomer," the man said, in a deep gravelly voice. "Welcome to Pewter City. From the pokémon following you, I'm guessing that you're a trainer. Here to challenge Brock and get your first badge?"

"Yep," Ash replied, sliding down off the ledge.

"Well you're not going to beat him," the man told him. "He's as strong as the rock that Pewter City is famous for. Speaking of which, you want any souvenirs?" He gestured to his side and Ash noticed the shelves filled with rocks with price tags on them.

"Oh, and you owe me two yen for standing on my merchandise earlier," the man continued. Ash took a closer look at the man. He had a grey beard, a dark complexion, was a few feet taller than Ash, and was wearing a cap, which shadowed his eyes.

"I thought you only had to pay for things if you bought them," replied Ash, having never bought a thing in his life. Poison Lance had told him that it probably was going to be a problem later, but the old weedle never could figure out human currency.

"Ever hear the phrase 'You break it, you buy it'?"

"No," Ash answered honestly.

"It means you owe me two yen."

"Aww, man!" Ash groaned. While Poison Lance had no luck with currency, it was one of the things covered in a first grade curriculum, and it was easy for wild pokémon to pick up pocket change. He offered the man the money.

"I didn't actually think that'd work," the man admitted taking Ash's money.

"What'd you mean?"

"Nothing. Let me give you a bit of info. Brock uses only rock-type pokémon " the man told him.

_Makes sense. The place is called _Pewter _city and its famous for its rocks, _Pikachu said to Ash.

"Thanks," Ash replied. His mind instantly started to think of ways to overcome a team of rock-types with his own pokémon. An idea occurred to him, but his pokémon were tired. They needed some time in a pokémon center.

Course decided, Ash thanked the man and then informed his pokémon that they were headed off to the pokémon center.

_Do you know where it is, _Pikachu asked Ash as they hurried down the ledges.

_No, but it couldn't be that hard to find. I mean, everything in a city is labeled. It couldn't be that hard to find something, _Ash replied.

_You idiot…_ Pikachu said, face-palming.

* * *

><p>"Butterfree could you do us all a favor," Ash begged the butterfly as he sat down on a bench. He had been walking on the harsh concrete and asphalt for hours as they searched for the city's pokémon center. "Could you go and scout for the center from the air?"<p>

_So you admit that you're lost, _said Pikachu.

_I think he has, _Pidgeotto joined in. _But, and no offence Butterfree, why not send me? I've had more flying experience. _

_"_Butterfree's fully evolved," Ash whispered, pretending to tie his shoe. "Hopefully people will be less likely to think he's a wild pokémon ."

_It's not like they can catch us, _Pikachu said. W_e've already got pokeballs so other can't work. _

_"_But people could still think you're wild and attack you. Or just throw pokeballs at you. Either option can't be pleasant, so I'm choosing Butterfree"

_Sure thing Ash. I'll get back here as soon as I find it, _Butterfree said, rising up to begin his search. He fluttered away and Ash leaned back. Pikachu jumped off his head and onto his lap. Pidgeotto closed her eyes and rested on the back of the bench next to Ash.

"How do you know so much about human stuff Pikachu?" Ash whispered to his pokémon , glancing around to see if anyone was listening. But the people around were preoccupied with their own business and paid no attention to the trainer on the bench.

_I spent a lot of time in cities. People don't really bother me cause I'm small, fast, and can zap them. I used to spend long periods of time in Viridian City and Pallet Town. I liked to hang around shops that sold electric things. Learned to hate bikes, you humans are so unobservant on those things. Nearly got run over dozens of times. Should zap them all to teach you lot a lesson. But you'd be surprised what a pokémon can learn that way. _

"Makes sense," Ash quietly responded, shrugging. "You might know more about people than me."

_Some things. More hands on experience, so to speak, but Poison Lance probably taught you more. I'm just along to cover for bits of your idiocy. _

"I thought you came along for the training."

_What training could a helpless human like you provide? …What's with that face? Oh crap, not this indignity agai- aah-ha-ha-ha, it tickles!_

Ash tickled and wrestled Pikachu for a little bit, gaining the upper hand, and subjecting to tiny pokémon to terrible ticklish torture that only came to a stop when Pikachu shocked him. Pigdeotto opened an eye at the commotion, but closed it again when she decided that their antics were beneath her notice. Ash and Pikachu sat back on the bench and tried to regain their breath.

A high pitched, aristocratic, female laugh rang out.

"I know that laugh," Ash stated, freezing up.

"Having fun twerp?" Jessie asked as she and James appeared behind him.

People starting running and screaming after that.

* * *

><p>Misty locked her bike into the empty rack and stood up. It had been nice of Nurse Joy to send someone to find it for her, while she was still recovering from the Spearow attack. What was even more kind of the Nurse Joy to inform her of that boy's plans- the boy who had saved her. Misty still needed to thank him, that's all. Never mind the blush. Stupid cheeks, blushing randomly like that. It was simple. He had saved her life, defended her from that Fearow, and then saved her pokémon and the pokémon Center from the attacking members of Team Rocket in Viridian City.<p>

It was only polite to thank him for doing at that, and that's the only reason she wanted to see him again, thank you very much.

Her wounds were still bothering her, and she didn't want other people to see all the bandages. Her solution to the problem was to wear long baggy jeans and a sweatshirt. Her pink sweatshirt had been damaged in the spearow attack, so she was wearing a dark blue sweatshirt that was a size or two too big for her, and she kept the hood up to protect her neck, which was still sensitive.

She took out the piece of paper that had the boy's name on it. Nurse Joy had told her the name earlier, but Misty had still been on painkillers. Thankfully Nurse Joy provided with the aforementioned note, which she was supposed to give to the Pewter City Joy.

Why she hadn't read his name from there yet was a mystery to herself. The best she could explain it, was that she didn't feel like learning his name before she learned his face. She could only remember the golden brown eyes. The boy did not seem real to Misty and learning his name before really meeting him would make it worse she supposed.

A butterfree fluttered past, cooing happily to itself. Misty stared at it. It was a bug and she knew that she should be frightened, but she found that it was too pretty to be scary.

The bug-type saw her staring.

"Butterfree!" it trilled, waving happily at her.

"Aren't you a beautiful pokémon ," Misty said approaching the pokémon . "What are you doing in the city? Did you get lost?"

"Free," Butterfree replied, shaking its head. It stopped and hovered in front of her.

"Oh, do you have a trainer?"

"Free," Butterfree said, nodding.

"Are you looking for him then? No, are you looking for the pokémon center then?"

"Butterfree!" the butterfly cried out nodding.

"It's right down this way" said Misty pointing down the street "I can take you there if you want."

The bug-type pokémon nodded, and the two of them went down the street. Misty was wondering what sort of odd trainer wouldn't keep their pokémon with them at all times. The butterfree seemed too happy for its trainer to be abusive or neglectful – maybe it was just an odd pokémon that liked to do things like this?

They reached the Pewter City Pokémon Center- a shorter and less grand building than its Viridian City counterpart. It was more squared, with two ramped supports, one on either side. Misty opened the door and gestured inside.

"After you," she told the butterfree. But the pokémon shook its head and turned around.

"Aren't they waiting inside for you?" Butterfree shook its head. "You mean they sent you to find the pokémon center by yourself?" Misty almost yelled, incredulous.

"Butterfree," the Bug pokémon trilled proudly. Misty was going to say more, but it looked so happy, so she dropped the subject.

It seemed terribly irresponsible for a trainer to let a butterfree do that, but Butterfree seemed to view it as a mark of pride. Maybe it was some sort of confidence boasting activity? She should probably make sure that it got back to its trainer all right. She let the door close and followed it out.

"Where is your trainer right now do you know?" Misty asked the bug-type.

Before Butterfree could respond, there was an explosion off in the distance, and people started to scream. Misty thought she could catch the word Rocket in the cacophony.

First Viridian and now Pewter City? Why was Team Rocket growing so bold?

Misty's heart raced as she remembered her duty as a part of the Cerulean city gym and as a member of the League. It was time to do battle with those that threatened the peace of the land.

"Free," Butterfree called out panicked.

"Is your trainer over there? Don't worry I'm going to going there to help. I'll find your trainer. You just go wait inside the pokemon center, someone will open the door for you-"

"Butterfree" Butterfree exclaimed, shaking its head and then starting off towards the smoke that marked the site of the Rocket attack.

"Fine, we'll both go help your trainer then" Misty called out, running after it.

* * *

><p>It was not a good situation. Even though people were fleeing, the area was still too crowded for Pikachu to cut loose. Plus the Rockets were throwing down metal rods as they chased Ash and his pokémon , probably to stop Pikachu from unleashing coruscating yellow fury upon them. Pidgeotto had her wings full with Koffing's constant use of Smog- she was too preoccupied with dispersing the poisonous gas to aid Ash.<p>

His best option was to find the pokémon center and hopefully Butterfree. The Rocket Trio hopefully wouldn't be prepared for Metapod's evolution. After all, they seemed rather unprepared compared to their last encounter – Ash was sure that if they had known he would be here, they would have been able to defeat him with Butterfree gone.

Ash ran through an alleyway, looking for anything to give him an upper hand, or for any sign of the police. They should be showing up soon, mass panic and exploding cars – Pikachu's fault – tended to attract them.

_I still haven't seen Butterfree! _Pikachu cried out. _And I think Meowth's on the rooftops. Now would be a great time for an idea._

_Keep running until we reach the pokémon center or the gym. Maybe run into some police officers. _

_That's the best you got? _

_It's just not my day evidently. _

Ash sprinted across the street, making it out of the alley just as Meowth tried to pounce on him. Ignoring the cursing cat pokémon Ash dashed through another alleyway and then hooked a sharp right onto the empty street on the other side. News of the Rocket attack must have spread fast, but why weren't the Arceus damned police showing up?

"You should quit running little boy," Jessie's voice came from Ash's side, making him jump a few feet. Heart beating even faster than before, he looked back while engaging in another sprint. There was a walky-talky taped to the side of a building. Which meant that-… Well, crap.

Ash threw himself to the side, into a bike rack occupied by only one bike. His method of braking, while painful, was enough to stop him from hitting the tripwire just a few feet ahead. The certain fate of having to pick up his battered body was better than the uncertain fate of the Rocket Trio's traps.

"I see you can think on your feet," James said, emerging from an alleyway ahead. "In a manner of speaking of course."

"Honestly, I was expecting the realization to hit a few seconds later," Jessie added, emerging from an alleyway on the other side of the street. "But it's nice to see that we where right about you having never been here before. You wouldn't know the shortcuts to the pokémon center like we would."

Oh, so they _had_ been going the right way! Just that it was the wrong way, as it turned out.

"Well, 'Aaron'," Meowth began, leaping off a rooftop to land in between Jessie and James. "Are you finally done playing the mouse in this game? Ready to come with us and become the top cats?"

As if to punctuate his question, Jessie and James began to throw a collection of metal rods around the area. Where a rod hit it stuck and the other end opened up into some bizarre shining metal flower.

_Dammit, _Pikachu cursed. _I can feel those things. I won't be able to use Thunder or Thunderbolt with them up. _

"Alright then Pikachu" Ash whispered, standing up and walking walking away from the bike rack and into the middle of the street. "Show them your Thundershock then. And don't let it up when you get them."

_Aye aye Captain Idiot! _Pikachu responded, before jumping off his trainer's head. He landed on the lane lines in the middle of the road and let loose writhing tendrils of buzzing electric power. Most of the yellow bolts earthed themselves in the metal rods, but others hit buildings on both sides of the street, causing stone and motor to break and fall.

One bolt hit the bike rack and coursed through the red bike parked there. Yellow energy encased the bike as current flowed through it. Electric power turned to heat and began to twist the handle bars. Rubber tires began to melt, the black material began to loose its form, dripping and pathetically spreading over the ground. It made a small sound- inaudible over the electricity- that resembled a pained dying squeal.

Spokes were fried in an instant and began to deform and break apart, turning into a tiny ashen snowfall. The seat of the bike briefly caught fire and was consumed by the heat and flames. Heat turned the bike's red body a black and caused it to become a malformed parody of its former shape. Pikachu's accidental strike utterly destroyed the bike, ruining it beyond all hope of repair.

Not that he cared. He hated the damn things.

Meanwhile, Team Rocket danced and dodged as Pikachu's attack tore up the street, electric tentacles gouging holes in the street. There were too many for their counter measures to stop, even if they made it so that Pikachu only had the most tenuous grip on the control of his attack.

Thinking quickly Jessie grabbed Ekan's pokeball. Ducking a electric blast, she held the ball close to her face and whispered to her pokémon .

"I need you throw an Acid attack at that pikachu when I release you. I don't care if it won't connect with all the electricity he's giving off, just use the attack."

She twirled out of the way of a bolt that scarred the street where she had stood. Jessie hurled Ekan's pokeball onto a rooftop behind Ash and Pikachu.

Ekans appeared from within and immediately let loose a blast of Acid. The electric cornea surrounding Pikachu vaporized it, but the sizzling sound startled both him and Ash. Pikachu's attack halted and he and Ash stood back to back keeping an eye on both the Rocket trio and Ekans.

"I know what you're up to," James said slyly. "How wonderfully cunning."

_There you guys are, _Koffing said from above. _Thanks for the signal, the burning Acid was easy smell and follow._

_"_It was simplicity itself; after all Koffing would be sure to recognize the gas given off by burning Ekans' acid," Jessie replied.

_Dammit, _Ash swore under his breath. Now he had to deal with threats on both sides, Pidgeotto was still dealing with Koffing's gas (as windstorms battling toxic clouds all over the city showed), and Pikachu could not hit worth a damn right now. Butterfree should have been around here, the bug-type must not have found the pokémon center yet. But, considering the current situation, Ash didn't think even Butterfree could turn the situation around. He really needed the police to show up, or for a gym leader to intervene.

"Now, twerp- _Oh_, _sweet_ _Arceus_, _why_!" James screamed as a red shoe appeared between his legs. He fell forward, curling around the wounded area. A boy in a dark blue sweatshirt concealing his face with the overly large hood stood behind James.

"You'll pay for that brat!" Meowth snarled, raising his paws, claws extended. But before he could make good on those words a String Shot bound his paws together. The Scratch Cat pokémon jumped back, looking around in surprise.

_Leave Ash alone you flea bitten tom!_ Butterfree yelled from above.

Deciding to be cautious, Jessie grabbed Meowth and James and retreated a small distance from the stranger. She kept one eye on the newcomer and Ash while she helped James up.

"How long until the police or gym intervenes?" she asked her partner in crime.

"Records indicate that we have… rgh, a minute before the gym leader should get here. And it should be a minute and a half for the police to get through the foam we used to seal them in the station," James answered, grimacing as he stood up.

"Plenty of time then. Ekans Acid the new brat!" Jessie called

"Koffing Sludge the twerp!" James ordered.

Before either purple poison pokémon could react a spinning purple shape slammed into Koffing, knocking him into James, rebounded into Ekans, and then coming around to knock Ekans into Jessie. The Rocket humans caught their pokémon .

_Ouch,_ Koffing complained.

_Did anyone get the name of that star that hit me?_ Ekans asked, dazed.

The starmiecame down to hover next to the boy in the blue sweatshirt.

"Don't think that you've won simply because you got the drop on us!" Jessie, shaking a fist at the newcomer and taking a step forward into a- puddle?

There hadn't been a puddle there a second ago.

With growing apprehension Jessie looked down and saw water flowing around and past her foot, to pool around the entire Rocket group. She followed the path of the water and saw a golden startyu quietly spraying a stream of water onto the street. With quick, deft movements of its upper arm it made a couple more sprays and then there was a trail of water leading from right by Pikachu to the Rockets.

Ash noticed this as well.

"Pikachu, I think you know what to do," Ash said to his pokémon .

Pikachu smiled evilly.

_With pleasure! _And with that there was a battle cry, a buzzing sound, and a bright yellow light. Pikachu's attack followed the path of the water, evaporating the stream as it sped along faster than human comprehension. Electricity finally reached the Rockets who screamed as they were once more electrocuted.

But the power of Pikachu's attack betrayed its purpose and it when the water was gone the attack died as well. Jessie, James, Meowth, and the other pokémon were still standing, signed, but still on their feet.

"Koffing, escape maneuver alpha! We'll get 'Aaron' later!" James ordered. Koffing immediately started to pump out smoke that dissipated seconds later.

But those few seconds proved to be enough for the Rocket trio to vanish.

"They got away again! Dammit at this rate they'll never get arrested," Ash complained. He turned to the boy who had helped him out.

* * *

><p>Here he was. Misty recognized the golden brown eyes and the Pikachu that scrambled up his trainer to rest on the boy's head. Beneath the hood Misty could feel her cheeks heating up, and her stupid knees were going weak. There was absolutely no reason for her to be acting this way. She just had to thank him for rescuing her that day, that's all. She had sorta just re-payed him now, helping him with the Rockets like that ...even though it was her duty as part of the Cerulean gym.<p>

This should be no problem, just walk up to him and say 'thanks for helping me with those spearows and that fearow'. That was all.

Oh, he was walking over to her now.

Ash walked over to the strange boy that had helped him. From the clothes that the other boy was wearing, Ash guessed he was one of those 'mysterious types' that Poison Lance had complained about.

Why was he wearing such baggy and concealing clothes anyway? That was a bit weird. Still, the boy had helped out of a sticky situation with those Rockets, so Ash needed to thank him.

"Thanks for the assist there," Ash began happily, extending his hand. "I was having trouble with those Rockets. You're a swell guy to help like that."

...

...

The world was still for a moment.

_Ash, you poor, doomed, idiot. _

And then the 'Female Fist of Fury' grabbed the front of Ash's jacket and began to viciously shake the poor confused trainer.

"Guy… Guy? _Guy_!" a female voice shouted at him. "I'm a _girl_, you _idiot_!" Misty said, pulling back her hood.

Ash thought that the turquoise eyes and the brilliant red hair seemed familiar, as he was shook and insulted for the crime of mistaking genders. Poison Lance had warned him that it was rather offensive to do so. He probably had this coming.

_Good grief you humans and your sense of smell, _Pikachu complained. _Even a slowpoke would've known that this was Misty, the girl we saved._

Oh right, that's why she seemed familiar.

'Course she wasn't acting like the girl they had saved- quiet and unmoving.

He should probably apologize before he got a headache.

"Sorry" Ash said deadpan. His apology didn't seem to mollify the girl. Instead it seemed to make her wrath grow.

_Beg Ash. Beg, _Pikachu advised.

"Sorry!" Ash said, this time putting feeling into the apology. The fact that the feeling was fear instead of remorse didn't matter, right?

"Well, you better be bub," Misty replied tersely, releasing Ash. "So you're Aaron?"

"Yes."

"Well," Misty began… then bowed lowly. "Thank you for saving me Aaron."

_Say 'You're welcome', _Pikachu instructed the stunned Ash.

"Uh, you're welcome. But it was just what anyone would've done," Ash told Misty, blushing and rubbing the back of his head. Honestly, you weren't supposed to do things like that to be thanked, you were supposed to do them because they were the right thing to do. Receiving praise for doing the right thing was kind of confusing.

Misty studied the boy as she straightened up. His clothes were traveled stained, and his Pikachu looked tired. There were some bags under his eyes, and his blush highlighted some of the dirt on his face. It was obvious that he had been traveling for a while; probably the reason he had so much trouble dealing with the Rockets.

"Free," Butterfree trilled, obviously worried as it hovered near its trainer. Aaron patted the butterfly pokémon on the top of its head.

"I'm fine Butterfree. It'll take more that to get me" Aaron reassured his pokémon . "But you were a lifesaver back there, distracting them along with Misty."

"Butterfree!" This time it was a happy trill.

Well he seemed to be a nice boy and he obviously had a deep bond with his pokémon if Butterfree was any indication. Pretty modest too.

Something brushed against her leg. Misty looked down and saw Aaron's pikachu standing by her feet, looking up expectantly.

"Awww, aren't you adorable?" Misty cooed, reaching down and picking up Pikachu.

_I told you she would finde me adorable, _Pikachu smugly told Ash.

Misty noticed Aaron's strange expression as Pikachu adorably said its name.

Calling him Aaron seemed... wrong somehow. It seemed wrong when Team Rocket had called him that, as if they were lying poorly when addressing him so. The best Misty could describe it as was that the name didn't fit the boy. Which was ridiculous, Aaron was just a name and the boy was just a boy- despite what rather annoying parts of her mind insisted. There was no reason to think that his name didn't fit.

"Chu," Pikachu said, tiredly. Misty noticed that Pikachu was just as traveled stained as his trainer.

"You should probably get to the pokémon center," Misty told Aaron, handing him back his Pikachu. "And what was with letting your Butterfree go look for it alone like that. Something could've happened to it."

"Nah, Butterfree can take care of himself. 'Sides, he wanted to go. He's currently in the best shape out of any of us, 'cause he just evolved a few days ago."

"It's still irresponsible. What if Team Rocket had run into him?"

"He helped kick their asses as a caterpie, I'm pretty sure they wouldn't have been able to handle him now."

"You've fought them between Viridian City and now?" Misty asked surprised by this. No wonder he seemed so tired.

"Once. I can tell you about it at the pokémon center if you want." Ash offered.

_Oh Ash, you sly dog, _Pikachu sniggered to Ash's puzzlement.

"Okay," Misty answered. It seemed like this should be an interesting story. And that was the only reason she was going. Really. No other reason whatsoever.

"Right, I still have to pick up Pidgeotto, she's still dealing with Koffing's gas clouds..."

_Not any more. Thanks for the light show Pikachu, it showed me where to find you guys,_ Pidgeotto said, alighting on Ash's shoulder.

"Guess not," Ash said shrugging. Misty seemed a little nervous for some reason.

"You and Butterfree should probably get in your pokeballs now," Ash told his pokémon . "It'll be easier on the pokémon center staff if they only have to deal with Pikachu constantly out of his ball. "

_Sure thing Ash. _

_Alright, I need to rest my wings anyway. Dealing with all those gas clouds was hard. _

In twin flashes of red light, Pidgeotto and Butterfree were returned to their pokeballs. Misty didn't look nervous any more.

* * *

><p>"Could you revitalize my po- Nurse Joy? What are you doing here?"<p>

"I work here," Nurse Joy answered Ash from behind the desk and taking his tray full of pokeballs and Pikachu.

"But what about Viridian City? I thought you worked there?"

"Oh, that's where my little sister works, she's also named Joy. By the way, she said nice things about you Aaron. And she wanted me to remind you to fill out your registration information on the pokédex if you haven't already and call Professor Oak."

"Alright," Ash replied, a little dazed. Wasn't it confusing to have two identical people sharing the same name? And have them both go into nursing pokémon ? Maybe it was another one of those human things that he needed to discreetly ask about. He wondered how the other pokémon centers told the two Joys apart.

"Why do you have to call Professor Oak?" Misty asked Ash, as they headed away from the desk and towards the video phones. "I thought beginning trainers only had to do that when they reached Viridian City."

"Officer Jenny had to call him to confirm my identity since I hadn't filled out my pokédex yet. Going to have to do that soon. Oak confirmed that I'm me and then asked Jenny about the situation, and I had to tell him about the spearow thing. Then Oak asked me to check in periodically during my journey 'cause he thinks it'll be interesting. "

"Oh. Well, judging from what I've seen so far, he's probably right. I mean you've beaten Team Rocket operatives a couple of times, including saving a pokémon center, and then there was that spearow thing..."

"I'm an idiot," Ash yelped, smacking his head. "I forgot to ask if you were okay! Have you healed yet? Did I break any of your bones break 'cause of my stupidity?"

"Don't worry," Misty replied, "You didn't break any of my bones. A lot of the cuts are still sore, which is why I'm wearing these baggy clothes, and covering my neck. Plus I got some monster bruises."

"I'm sorry," Ash said downcast. "If I hadn't dropped you they probably would've been not so bad."

"Oh, yes. I expect a _much_ better performance from you next time you save my life," Misty replied, rolling her eyes. "You were being chased by a flock of spearow, and then there was that fearow. I think dropping me once and picking me back up is okay when running away from a situation like that."

"Actually it was when Fearow used Mirror Move on Pikachu's Thunder and blew us up."

"... You're apologising for dropping me during an explosion?"

"Well... yeah. If I hadn't dropped you, you wouldn't be hurting as bad now." Ash answered, downcast.

"Aaron, you idiot, if you hadn't picked me up in the first place I probably wouldn't be alive to hurt! So I'm going to thank you for dropping me. Because the fact that you dropped me means that you had picked me up and tried to save me first. So thank you for dropping me, okay?"

"... Okay."

"Anyway should I leave you alone for your call to Oak?"

"Uh..." Ash thought about it for a moment, and then decided that she could probably cover any of those little human things that he missed. "No, you can stay if you want. Do you know his number, I can't remember it."

"It should be in your pokédex."

"Oh, right thanks."

He opened the pokédex. A mechanical voice sounded out the second he did so.

"Welcome new trainer! This is a pokédex, a digital encyclopaedia of pokémon information. New trainers are reminded to fill out their registration information as soon as-"

"Yeah, yeah. I need Oak's number," Ash told the machine.

The machine told him and Ash punched it into the video phone. Thankfully, Ash had picked up some books on video phones, and while the mechanics of their operation were a little over his head, he at least learned how to use the technology.

There was a buzzing sound and then Oak appeared on screen.

"Aaron my boy," the pokémon professor said. "Got any new stories to tell?"

* * *

><p>"I can't believe the Viridian City pokémon Center didn't tell him about your part in stopping the attack," Misty complained as she ate a rice ball. Ash mumbled in agreement as he ate some jerky.<p>

"I mean, he usually has gym and police reports forwarded to him. He should've at least seen your name on your statement. Good grief, I feel sorry for the poor sap that kept the former champion out of the loop," Misty continued. "Ever since that family was murdered, he's been a real tightass about that stuff. You _did_ give a statement, right?"

"No," Ash replied, crumpling up the bag that had held the jerky. He was going to need to gather some more food soon. Or get money. One of the two. Now that he was a pokémon trainer, he couldn't just steal things any more.

"Didn't they ask you for one?"

"Who?"

"The police."

"Didn't see them. I left right after that stuff."

"Why?" Misty asked. "I mean, you could've gotten a medal for that… _Should've_ _too_," she finished, fighting another stupid blush. What was with her today?

Ash blushed. Really, what was with people praising him for doing the right thing. You would think that doing the right thing was a rarity throughout all of existence or something.

"Oh, well," Misty sighed. "So, have you-" A growl interrupted her. "No, better question, aren't you going to have more? You sound like you're still hungry."

"I'm good. I'll get some berries after my pokémon are ready."

"Why don't you buy- oh, let me guess, you were planning on getting your badge first and using the advancement to get supplied for the next city, but Team Rocket delayed you."

"Advancement?"

"You know, the cash you get for earning a gym badge. The stuff that supports League tainers, especially when they're starting out."

"Actually I was just planning to forage for food until my pokémon and I could find some quick jobs. Didn't know you got money for getting a badge." Actually that would make things much easier. He would actually be able to buy things for once, or at least things that were worth more than pocket change.

"Didn't you learn about advancements and stuff in school?" Misty asked concerned. All League member entities were supposed to give their children a basic education on current politics and League practices.

"Must've been sick that week," Ash lied quickly.

"I'll give you the quick run down. Back when the League was just forming, it's true pokémon trainers had to support themselves and their teams by taking the odd job here and there until they settled down or became a League official of some kind. But as the League realised the need to grow they also needed to come up with a way to support the glut of new trainers and weed out those with potential to become top level trainers and those trainers who would be best suited to finding a job in some community that they and their pokémon could do."

She took a pause and continued.

"Since a trainer needed gym badges to compete in the regional tournament already, and earning one was a sign of either being a strong enough trainer to defeat whatever pokémon the leader fielded or having the qualities valued by that gym, the Kanto pokémon league decided to award trainers with a sum of money to support themselves until their next gym battle."

"Wait," Ash interrupted. "You're talking like you don't need to beat a gym leader to get a badge."

"It would be completely unreasonable to expect every trainer with potential to defeat a gym leader," Misty answered Ash. "After all, gym leaders are trainers who have proven themselves to have the required strength to guard a region and act as the League representative for that region. They're stronger than most pokémon rangers, or even many of the League agents. What they do is ensure that each trainer has a minimum level of strength and the right qualities to advance. Many times, they'll put together weaker teams for trainers to battle, so that the challengers have a chance at victory. However, some of them don't do this. It's because if you beat a gym leader, at least in Kanto, you're guaranteed the gym badge. Some leaders don't feel like being forced to do that with trainers they feel don't have the necessary qualities."

"Anyway, back to the subject of advancements. Every gym in Kanto gives them out, including both the eight main gyms and the smaller League gyms. And because of our close relationships with the Johto, Hoenn, Unova, and Orange Islands regions, their Leagues do the same things. Actually, the Johto and Kanto Leagues might be merging soon – an official announcement will be made next year about the decision. If it happens, it'll be the first step towards all the regional Leagues in this part of the world joining. I mean, the first steps were taken a couple of decades ago in the Treaty of Sootopolis, where they allowed trainers from any of the five regions to be able to compete in the conferences and tournaments of any of the others. That's why Lance can be the Kanto champion and be from the Johto region. I mean, yeah he had to take the oath of loyalty and everything-"

"So I can compete in the other regions? Cool!"

"Only if you get their gym badges. So how are you planning on fighting Brock."

"I've got an idea-" His stomach interrupted his mouth with another growl.

"Here. It sounds like you want this more than me," Misty said to Ash, handing him a rice ball.

"Thanks." Ash began to greedily consume the rice ball.

Misty stood up and stretched.

"Well it's been nice talking to you. What's your last name. "

"Autumns" the reply came between mouthfuls of rice.

"Mine's Waterflower. Hopefully I'll run into you again sometime. Just without Team Rocket or spearows."

"Alright!" Ash responded happily, giving a closed eye smile.

* * *

><p>Misty left the pokémon center after delivering the note to Nurse Joy. She wanted to get back to Cerulean City and take a couple weeks off up there. Fix her damaged equipment and finish recovering from the spearow incident. Then take to the road again.<p>

She walked down the ruined street, not really noticing the destruction caused by Pikachu. Misty looked around for where she remembered the bike rack to be-

What was that long twisted and burnt hunk of metal? Right where she remembered the bike rack being-

Oh. And her bike.

Wow. Completely destroyed.

It took a few seconds to register.

What could've... Of course.

"Aaron Autumns! You owe me a new bike!"

* * *

><p>AN: Originally this chapter was going to contain more of Ash's Pewter City experiences. But I decided that it would be too much for one chapter so I split it into two. On the dark side, it means shorter chapters. On the bright side it means an earlier release.<p>

Oh, and Nurse Joy from Viridian. I hold you responsible for the death of Misty's bike.

I'd like to thanks Selm and Nauran for betaing.

It's been a tough week to find time to revise this chapter. Don't expect the next chapter any sooner than the week after this one.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon

* * *

><p>Ash picked his pokémon up from Nurse Joy and put a grinning Pikachu on his head. He decided to exit the building via the back way. Talking with Misty had shown him that letting his pokémon travel with him outside of their pokeball was considered unusual. Seeing as he had no intention of drawing attention to himself, Ash would try to keep his and his team's movements a bit more discreet. He could let them out in the back alley away from any prying eyes in the pokémon center.<p>

Besides, Team Rocket might be watching the entrance.

_So, what's the plan? _Pikachu asked his trainer as Ash released Pidgeotto and Butterfree from their pokéballs.

_We're going back into the forest to train, _Ash told his team. _Right now I doubt we'd be any good against a trainer specializing in rock-type pokémon, let alone a gym leader. _

_Oh really? I think we could take them. Nobody expects the cute little pikachu to use Thunder after all. _

_Aren't rock-types immune to electric attacks? _

_No, _answered Pidgeotto. _It's a common misconception since a lot of rock-type pokemon are dual typed with ground which is immune to electricity._

_Well, then we can just use you for those pokémon,_ suggested Pikachu. _Flying is super effect against ground, right? _

_Let me put it this way, _Ash began. He was interrupted by a rumbling sound coming from down the street from the pokémon center.

_What's that? I wanna go see. Come on guys! _Butterfree began to flutter towards the noise.

"Wait for us," Ash called out to his bug-type pokémon. He, Pikachu, and Pidgeotto hurried after the butterfly. The group ended up by the front of the pokémon center where a rather large pokémon greeted them.

_Oh holy Arceus... what did I do to displease you? _Pikachu moaned.

In front of the pokemon center a dark skinned young man was busy dismounting an onix. A giant burrow in the street marked its path, and the stony leviathan towered over the pokémon center when it reared back after its trainer had dismounted. The merest movement of the onix shouted about the sheer mass of the pokémon, from the the cracking and grinding of the asphalt, to the quiet deep rumble of its breathing.

And then it disappeared in a flash of red light.

Pikachu turned to Ash.

_Forget I said anything. Lets go train! _

* * *

><p>"Lose to Brock already?"<p>

"Nope. Decided to to some more training before I face him," Ash told the bearded man selling rocks. He was leaving the city by the same path that he had entered it.

_I'm not going up against anyone in a gym that has one of those rock monsters people call pokemon, _Pikachu said, emphatically crossing his arms.

"Do you really think that more training will allow you to beat him?"

"It'll give us a chance to and that's all we need, right guys?"

_Nope. Not getting involved with this gym. _

_Eh, I can always fly away if things get too tough. _

_Yep Ash! We can take them!_

_"_Well I see your pokémon agree with you at least."

_You humans are really stupid. _

* * *

><p><em>Alright. So how are you going to be training us to fight those unholy monsters, <em>Pikachu asked Ash.

_I'm sensing that you have issues with onixs. _

_Nope. I've got no issues with giant snakes made of rock that are part ground type, where the only I defence I've got against them is to run away. No problems whatsoever. _

_You're scared of them. _

_Terrified. _

_Don't worry. I'm not planning to use you in this gym battle. This is going to be Pidgeotto's and Butterfree's fight._

_Oh, and what training will you give me that will allow me to overcome my weakness to sentient rocks? _Pidgeotto asked Ash.

_We're going to train you to fight blind. _

_I still fail to see how that's going to help me against sentient rocks. What was Arceus thinking when he made rock-types? _

_I thought Arceus simply shaped the world and made the Creation Trio and a couple others. Everything else was the process of physics, chemistry, and natural selection. _

_But then who do we have to blame? _Pidgeottto said. _It's easier to pretend that everything weird is all Arceus's is fault. Like slowpoke's evolutions. _

_You would think that he would be pissed off by all that stuff,_ Ash replied._ And pissing off the Original One does not sound healthy. _

_Eh, I always figured that he was asleep._

_I hope he's a morning person then. Anyway, we're also going to be working on a variation of Sand-Attack. Actually you might be able to win using nothing but Sand-Attack, but I don't want to risk you getting hurt for nothing, so we'll work on this new attack now. _

_What about me? _Butterfree trilled.

_I remember Poison Lance complaining about you butterfree's occasionally. He didn't like the fact that your kind were 'psychic butterflies' and thus had type advantage over him. _

_I have psychic powers? Cool! _

_So we're going to be working on developing those. Hopefully Brock won't be expecting bugs with the ability to hit things with their minds. _

_But rock is still super-effective versus us bug-types. How are we going to deal with that? _

_With the grass-type move that you know. Sleep Powder. _

_I see. Think that'll work? _

_Hopefully. All that we really need to do is impress him enough for him to give us the badge and the money-_

_Money? We're going to be getting money? _Pikachu interjected.

_Yeah. Misty told me that you get some money for getting a gym badge. Why? _

_'Cause if we're getting money we can get something else. Something much better than bits of paper. _

_What? _

_Monster movies!_

_..._

_I learned to like them from this one TV shop. The owner was a great fan apparently. _

_..._

_What? _

_I haven't seen a single movie, other than a documentary in first grade. And here you are, a pokémon, who's a fan of a particular genre. Life is so unfair. _

_Hey. Poison Lance could've had a TV stolen for you-_

_And how would he provide channels and power? _

_Alright. Fine. I'll have to surf the channels next time we stay at a pokémon center so that I can introduce you to the wonderful world of monster movies._

_You know, lets just start training now. Pikachu just keep doing the control exercise. When you can hit the stone behind the tree I'll let you starting practising controlling lightning during the next storm. Pidgeotto, wait a bit, I'll need to be there for your training. Butterfree, come with me._

Ash lead the bug-type to a small clearing.

_Alright. What you're going to be doing is... meditating! _

_But I don't know how. _

_And neither do I. But's it's the best way to describe this plan. You're just going to stay here and try and sense us training over there. Once you've gotten that down we'll try to learn some psychic attacks._

_Like what? _

_Confusion for starters. It's a relatively low level psychic attack where you blast them with a bit of telekinetic and telepathic force, which can confuse your opponent. But that's for after you've started to hone your psychic powers, so get meditating. _

_Sure Ash! _

_At least one of my pokémon respects me. _

_Oi! Idiot! _Pikachu called out from where he was training. _Get over here and make sure to speak human! _

Ash hurried over to where Pikachu had been training. When he got there, Ash saw that the bearded man from Pewter City was there, watching the electric mouse attempt to fire electricity around a tree.

"Interesting training you're having your pokémon do there," the man said to the trainer when he arrived. "Any particular reason why you're having him do this?"

_He just walked up here and started asking where you where, _Pikachu informed Ash as he unleashed another attack. It scorched some leaves and hit the ground to the side of the tree.

"Just working on control. Don't want him zapping people he shouldn't zap." Ash replied to the man.

"I"m Flint by the way," Flint informed Ash, putting forth his hand.

It took Ash a second to remember the proper etiquette for the situation.

"I'm Aaron," Ash lied. "What are you doing here?"

"I was just curious about what sort of training you might be up to. I used to do a bit of pokémon training myself back in the day."

"Really? Then how would you go about beating Brock with a pidgeotto, a pikachu, and a butterfree?"

"I wouldn't. Go catch a grass or water type pokémon if you want to have a chance. But I'm guessing that you want to do this with your current team?"

"Of course!"

"Then your only hope is too impress him, not beat him."

"Yeah, that's probably how I'm going to get the badge in the end," Ash admitted. "But I want my pokémon to have a chance at defeating him. I owe them that much."

"Really. Then what have you got planned?" Flint asked Ash.

"Well I'm going to see if I can teach Pidgeotto a method to deal with her weakness against rock-types."

"Oh. How are you going to accomplish that?"

"By training her!"

Flint face-palmed at that statement.

"Obviously" Flint's voice was muffled by his hand. He removed it from his face and continued. "But how are you going to train-"

Ash was already walking over to where Pidgeotto was waiting. Flint hurried after the boy.

"Pidgeotto are you ready to start?" Ash asked the flying-type.

_You know having other humans around is going to make this sorta thing awkward, _Pidgeotto replied.

"You know I can't understand that. Just nod or shake your head."

_I can't believe you managed to say that with a straight face. _Pidgeotto nodded.

"Alright then, let's begin," Ash said, as he reached into his bag and withdrew a roll of medical gauze. He wrapped it around Pidgeotto's eyes.

"We'll start slow. I'm going to go to a random spot and call out to you and you have to fly to my shoulder. Got it? Just nod or shake."

_Of course I got it. I hope that man leaves soon. _She also nodded.

"Training her to fight blind? Interesting. But I don't see how that's going to help against a rock-type," Flint said.

"That's part two," Ash replied cheerily.

* * *

><p>"You're certainly an interesting kid," commented Flint as he prepared a fire. Ash was feeding his pokémon.<p>

"Thanks, I think," Ash replied confused.

_Finally! Delicious food! _Pikachu panted as he took an apple from Ash. _I'd call you slave driver, except you're training too. _

_I don't think I made much progress today, _Pidgeotto said glumly. _I should keep training. _

_Ugh. The buzzing. I thought I was okay with buzzing, _Butterfree complained. _My evolutionary line being so close to Beedrill's. But this psychic stuff's worse. I'm not sure if I'm cut out for this.  
><em>

"You all did a very good job today. I'm proud of you all," Ash told them, smiling.

_And the award for 'best generic statement to address concerns that other's aren't suppose to know that you've heard award' goes to Ash Ketchum! Give him around of applause ladies and gentlemen. _

_Pikachu, that seems like an awfully narrow award category. Isn't it hard to find participants? _Butterfree questioned.

_Butterfree, I was making a joke, _Pikachu replied, giving the butterfly a flat look.

_Oh. _

"Can you tell me what pokémon Brock uses? Or would that be cheating?" Ash asked Flint.

"Aaron, considering the number of trainers each gym leader fights it would be impractical to forbid trainers from having prior knowledge of the leaders team."

...

"No it wouldn't be cheating."

"Okay! Then what's he got?"

"He's a relatively young and new gym leader so Brock uses only two pokémon for his battles, a geodude and an onix" Flint informed Ash. "Both are very strong and he made sure to train them against their weaknesses. However he can't spend as much time training as he would like. His deadbeat father, the former gym leader, left the family to go become a pokémon master- "

"Wait. Gym leaders can leave?"

"If they arrange for a new gym leader to take their place, or have someone fill in for them while they're gone. Or their can be multiple gym leaders, like in Cerulean City. A bunch of sisters are co-leaders there, three of them, with their youngest fourth sister off traveling the world to train. She's a part of the gym but not a leader. Anyway, Brock's father left his wife and Brock in charge of the gym. He stayed in touch for awhile but eventually dropped out of contact. Then Brock's mom passed away and he's had to take care of all of his siblings ever since. That horrible piece of waste hasn't even dropped by since."

"Why don't you like Brock's dad?" Ash asked Flint. "I mean, if they can't find him anymore didn't he just die? Otherwise he'd of come back by now. He did everything he was supposed to do."

Flint let out a harsh barking laugh.

"The scumbag's probably still alive. Alive and embarrassed that he couldn't become a pokémon master and wasn't there when his wife died. So he stays away from his children and hides from his own shame. The miserable coward."

"You can't know that! No father would abandon their kid like that!" Ash protested. "I'm sure if he had been able to come back he would've of. They wouldn't care if he failed to be a pokémon master."

"They wouldn't care that he failed to achieve the dream that he sacrificed their mother for? Of course they would care. Of course he would run away and abandon it all. You're young kid. And naive. Parents abandon their kids all the time, kids run away from their parents, and people do horrible things to their family for the most petty of reasons. And their shame and their guilt prevent them from ever repairing the damage. No Aaron, the bastard's still out there; wallowing in his own shame and self pity." Flint spat out that last sentence. His face took on an ugly expression which was transformed by the interplay of light and shadow from the young fire into the visage of a hateful gargoyle.

Ash shuddered and turned away.

None of that was true.

It couldn't be true.

The old weedle never would've done anything like that.

"You're wrong Flint. Parents aren't like that."

"Your parents maybe. Aaron, I can guess that your parents would never do that, but not everyone is like that. Don't worry about it. Brock's a strong kid and a good gym leader despite his awful father. You'll need to train hard to get your badge from him."

* * *

><p><em>I can <em>feel _everyone! _Butterfree exclaimed from the clearing. Ash was training Pidgeotto in a smaller clearing several meters away and Pikachu was still trying to curve his electricity around a tree.

_Good job Butterfree! _Ash praised his pokémon. _You're doing great. Take a break and then try to focus on one being at a time. _

_Oh, and Flint's coming back, _Butterfree shouted.

_Acreus dammit,_ Pikachu swore. _You're the only human we can have a good conversation with and this idiot has to keep ruining it. I can't wait to get on the road again. _

"Hey Aaron!" Flint called from within the forest.

The man walked into the small clearing where Ash and Pidgeotto where training. For some reason his left fist was wrapped in gauze as was his lower arm.

"What happened?" Ash asked.

"Nothing you need to worry about," Flint responded, not meeting Ash's eyes and putting his hand behind his back.

"So what're you here for?"

"Just wanted to stop by one more time. Want any advice on your training?"

"Nah."

"Well just be sure to stop by and see me after you face Brock. Okay?"

"Sure thing Flint. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Kid..." Flint shook his head. "Never mind. I'll see you after you battle Brock."

* * *

><p><em>You're feeling ... annoyed. <em>

_Duh. _

_And I can feel hatred radiating from you, directed... everywhere? _

_Only at trees. They're on the same list as bikes now. _

_Why do you hate trees all of the sudden? _Butterfree asked Pikachu.

_You'd hate them too if you had to bend your attacks around them for four bloody days straight._

_How's it coming you two? _Ash inquired as he hurried past, leading a blindfolded Pidgeotto with his voice alone.

_I can sense Pikachu's emotions. Without looking that is. _

Pikachu was too busy trying to start a forest fire with nothing but his glare.

* * *

><p><em>You know, this gives me an idea for a new attack. <em>

_Ash did you just get a new idea for an attack from the new attack you are currently developing with Pidgeotto? _Pikachu asked his trainer.

_Yeah. Why?_

_Ash can I dissect your brain. You know, for science? _

_What do you know about science anyway? _Ash asked Pikachu.

_It's the stuff that creates the giant monsters that attack cities. _

_I don't think I'm going to let you watch T.V. next time we stay in a pokémon center. _

_Puh-lease. You know you want to be a hero and stop a kaiju._

_How would I do that without a brain?_

_The same way you've been doing everything else. _

* * *

><p><em>Alright. Now Butterfree- <em>

_Speak up Ash. I'm having trouble hearing you. Why are you all so far away anyway? And hiding behind things? _

_I"m now sure how this is going to work out. I'm attempting to teach you telekinesis and telepathy here. _

_But all I'm doing is giving a 'sudden push' or 'burst of focus' as you put it. _

_I don't know how else to describe it. But this could go very bad for anyone caught in the blast.  
><em>

_Why are you assuming there's going to be a blast? _

_I saw electricity explode once. Ever since then I assume an attack can blow up unless proven otherwise. _

_Ash can I have my blindfold back? _Pidgeotto asked. _I'd rather not see this coming. _

_Guys, I think you're overreacting a bit. Guys. Guys? Guys!_

* * *

><p><em>Alright, <em>Pidgeotto said, nodding. _Compress my Gusts, keep them low and small. _

_And remember this move will be exhausting, so if you need to keep it up renew it by parts rather than all at once.  
><em>

_I'm going to do some heavy grooming after every time I use this move. But hopefully it will be worth is. _

_Alright, give it a whirl, _Ash told his pokémon.

_Why did I get a sudden sense of foreboding? _Pikachu asked Butterfree.

_'Cause you're a worry-wart. Hey! Why are you running away- Oh crap..._

* * *

><p><em>Two days, then we're off to Brock. <em>

_But we've learned the new moves already, _Butterfree protested. _We can't we go tomorrow? _

Pikachu glared at the butterfly and shook some more sand off.

_Cause you two are menaces with those moves! _The electric mouse shouted at Butterfree and Pidgeotto.

_Like you're one to talk, _Pidgeotto shot back. _How many trees have you blown up this week? _

* * *

><p><em>Alright guys, it's the big day. Are we ready to do this? <em>

_I'm ready _Pidgeotto declared proudly. _I'm going in there and doing my best. _

_This should be exciting! _Butterfree trilled.

_I'm not getting involved unless there's a storm, _Pikachu said. _You lunatics can pick the fight with the giant rock snake._

_Butterfree, Pidgeotto, get in your pokéballs. I don't want Brock to know what he's up against until there's no choice. _

_Do you really think that'll really help? _Pidgeotto asked.

_I'll take every advantage I can grab. Pidgeotto, Butterfree, return! _

* * *

><p>The Pewter City gym loomed before Ash and Pikachu, Constructed of metal and granite, each piece looming menacingly over the young trainer and his electric mouse. It resembled a great fortress more than any other sort of structure.<p>

"Here's gonna be fun," Ash said gleefully.

_There is something wrong in that head of yours, _Pikachu said, flattening himself into his trainer's hat.

Ash opened the great doors and walked into the gym.

There was only darkness inside. Ash had to use the illumination from the open door to make his way forth into the gym.

"Anybody there?" He cried out into the dark.

There was the briefest hum of electricity as a light came on with a relatively loud click. A beam of light fell from the ceiling to illuminate a dark skinned young man sitting indian style on top of a raised platform.

"So a challenger appears!" The young man shouted "Are you-"

"Quick question," Ash interrupted.

"What is it?"

"Do you spend all day sitting in the dark or something?"

"No. I have means of telling when a challenger approaches! Now prepare- what is it now?"

"How do you know I'm a challenger? I could be here for some other reason."

"Because Nurse Joy told me all about you Aaron Autumns."

"Oh. Makes sense. From when you stopped by the pokémon center after the Rocket attack?"

"Indeed. I see you are quite astute! But are you prepared to face the stony might of the Pewter City gym! Here we value persistence, endurance, and determination! That's why I use all rock-type pokémon . Ready? Fine. Then show me your best!"

Ash briefly wondered what the word 'astute' meant before he felt the rumbling as the gym transformed. From either side half of a rocky battlefield approached Ash. He calmly walked up to the right and stepped onto the field rather than try to run back to his end before the halves closed.

Brock frowned. Aaron seemed... off. Normally new trainers were scared and confused by his act. But this boy seemed to have traded his fear for an extra helping of confusion. Aaron had gone through the whole thing with a puzzled yet accepting expression on his face. That was unusual. It intrigued Brock. Not that it would make a difference in the end. Aaron was a newbie trainer who had never fought a gym leader before. The odds against him having powerful pokémon or a killer strategy were high. In order to earn a badge he would have to show the qualities of perseverance and a minimum level of cunning.

Aaron reached his side of the field and Brock pulled out his first pokéball.

"Go Geodude!" Brock bellowed and hurled the ball onto the field. With a flash of light what appeared to be a floating stone with arms, eyes, and a mouth appeared.

"Alright, Pidgeotto, this is what we trained for! Go!" And Ash threw Pidgeotto's pokéball onto the field. She appeared in a flash of light and with a challenging caw.

"Pidgeotto Sand-Attack!"

_Right! _The flying type looped backward to gain speed and altitude and then sped towards Geodude. Using her powers over wind Pidgeotto let out small cutting bursts of air in order to gather sand from the rocky battlefield. She then used more wind to gather it under her wings. It would have been harder for a rattata or some other small pokémon to gather the sand for the move. Was that why Brock had chosen this field?

She banked sharply upward and let loose her payload of sand. Without any instruction from Brock Geodude covered his eyes with one arm and spun around with the other arm outstretched to bat away the sand. .

_Did you think that you were the first to try that, _the rock-type taunted Pidgeotto. _Every newbie trainer tries to use Sand-Attack if they don't have type advantage. _

"I see that you thought you could win if you blinded my Geodue!" Brock bellowed. "But I've trained him to be above that common tactic. It's useless. You can't beat Geodude with that pidgeotto"

It was a really common tactic but a good one. It was the only hope for normal-type or flying-type pokémon that most new trainers had to defeat Brock's pokémon. That was why he trained his pokémon against Sand-Attack.

_Oh really now? _Pidgeotto drawled._  
><em>

Ash smirked.

"Pidgeotto Sand-Screen!"

Brock jerked his gaze towards the trainer. He had never heard of that attack before. Was Aaron really a newbie? Most trainers did not start inventing their own attacks until much later in their careers. Brock realized that he may have misjudged his opponent.

Pidgeotto repeated her earlier maneuver, but with one difference. Instead of heading towards Geodude the flying-type began to take random paths over the field. In her wake Pidgeotto left what looked like smaller versions of Gust. But unlike Gust, most of these columns of wind did not stray from their initial position. Instead most stayed put and started to grind into the battlefield and expel continous streams of sand into the air. Some however, did not add to the sand, they merely kept the already airborne sand aloft.

Soon the entire battlefield was covered in a haze of continuously shifting sand.

"An interesting move," Brock commented. "Geodude's training against Sand-Attack certainly can't counter this. But you've blinded your pokémon as well and my Geodude is the more experienced pokémon. He'll have the advantage fighting blind."

"Pidgeotto slash and dash attacks!"

_All that training better pay off, or this will probably hurt, _Pidgeotto said.

What followed was an exhausting battle for both pokémon. Geodude was unable to take the offensive against Pidgeotto in the haze and was reduced to trying to hit the other ppokémon when she came in close. Pidgeotto was able to avoid Geodude's attempts to harm her, but her own attacks had little effect against the rock-type. She also had to occasionally renew some of the wind columns that maintained Sand-Screen. Pidgeotto was tiring fast. The question was would she tire out before Geodude had taken too much damage to continue.

Brock was growing more curious about this trainer. Why had he developed this strategy? Sand-Screen blinded both pokémon. It would be far easier to simply stick with Sand-Attack to reduce the accuracy of his opponent. Then Aaron would not have had to teach his pokémon to fight blind. It was obvious that he had, the pidgeotto carried itself far too well under these conditions not to have trained for blind fighting. But it wasn't like Aaron had known that Brock trained his pokémon against Sand-Attack. Had he picked up some hints from somewhere?

Aaron's Pikachu said something and the trainer's face twitched. More odd behavior for Brock to wonder about.

_Brock suggestions please! _Geodude called out in pain as Pidgeotto completed another pass.

Hearing his pokémon's pained cry Brock realized that Geodude was not going to win at this rate. His mind frantically searched for solutions. He had an idea. It would be energy intensive, but Geodude wasn't tiring out, he was being beaten up. Pidgeotto should be the one tiring. If he had Geodude do this Pidgeotto should be the first to tire and then Geodude could easily win.

"Geodude Rapid Spin!" Brock commanded.

_Gotcha Brock, _Geodude replied. Let both arms hang loose the rock-type pokémon began to rapidly rotate until he was a spinning blur within the haze. He began to randomly speed around the field. When he passed through one of Pidgeotto's wind columns he disrupted it and left it weakened when he was past.

"Pidgeotto dodge high and stay there! Don't try to stop him." Ash told his pokémon.

_Letting him tire himself out I see, _Pikachu commented from Ash's head. _Interesting strategy. _

_Ash I don't think I can put up another Sand-Screen, _Pidgeotto shouted to her trainer. _I'm getting too tired. _

"Pidgeotto get ready to use that we came up with," Ash called out.

_We didn't come up with any moves. You came up with two and I came up with one- oh, right. Can't say that in front of the other human. _

_What the hell are you talking about?_ Geodude shouted as he finished dispersing the worst of Pidgeotto's Sand-Screen. He came to a halt and shook off some his dizziness. The room was moving all around him and he was extremely tired. He ached all over from Pidgeotto's attacks and he was also covered in sand. This had not been a fun battle for Geodude.

But it was over now. Pidgeotto was just as tired, if not more so, and had no place to hide.

"Geodude Tackle!" Brock ordered.

Geodude sped towards Pidgeotto who was barely able to dodge. Geodude turned around and began to come in for another pass.

"Now Pidgeotto! Flying Toss!" Ash told his pokémon.

"Flying Toss? Wouldn't it just be Sesmic Toss?" Brock asked Ash.

Pidgeotto dodged Geodude's attack by the slimiest of margins. She twisted and grabbed one of the rock-type's arms in each talon. Her tired wings burned as she forced them to move once again, dragging Geodude along for the ride. Speed was of the utmost importance here, the attack wouldn't work on Geodude if he had time to react.

She dove downward to gather speed. Geodude still hadn't grasped what was happening and by the time he started to, Pidgeotto had gained sufficient velocity. Pidgeotto banked upward and entered another loop, hoping to disorient and confuse Geodude. It evidently worked as Geodude didn't struggle. The flying type completed the loop and banked sharply upward once more. This time she let go of Geodude and the disoriented rock-type flew into a wall.

The gym shuddered from the impact and Geodude fell to the ground. Pidgeotto hovered nearby wearily.

_Is it over? _She asked.

Brock smiled.

"Geodude attack!"

With surprising speed the living rock rose from the floor and backhanded Pidgeotto across the face. Ash's pokémon flew like a shuttlecock across the battlefield towards the opposite wall. Ash leapt up and took the pokémon turned missile to the chest. He clutched her close as he fell back to earth.

Pidgeotto was out cold.

_You did really great. I'm so proud of you, _Ash whispered to his pokemon as he grabbed her pokéball. _Now take a well earned rest. _With a flash of red light Pidgeotto disappeared.

Brock looked at his Geodude critically. His pokémon was covered in scratches and other marks of the battle. It was also breathing heavily. It was in no condition to battle again. Brock recalled Geodude.

"That was an interesting battle Aaron Autumsn," the gym leader shouted across the field. "I don't think I've had one quite like it before. But I think it's over now. Go Onix!"

With a flash of light and a roar a stone leviathan appeared.

_I'm not fighting that thing! _Pikachu cried out, squeezing beneath the back of Ash's shirt.

"I choose you Butterfree!"

_It's my turn! _Trilled the butterfly as he solidified outside the pokéball.

So Aaron was going to try this old trick.

"I'm impressed that you managed to acquire the evolved d forms of both caterpie and pidgey but it's futile-"

"Butterfree Sleep Powder!"

Brock may have rolled his eyes as Onix fell over snoring. It was impossible to tell.

"As I was saying, it's futile. Onix's defense is too great from for Butterfree's attacks to damage it. Onix will just sleep as you exhaust yourself pounding away at him. Then he'll wake up and defeat your exhausted pokémon. You really should forfeit-"

"Butterfree Confusion!"

"It already knows Confusion!" Another curious thing about Aaron Autumns. He was certainly not your typical new trainer. Brock decided that Aaron would most likely be getting a badge for this battle.

Bits of debris scattered around the sleeping stone snake began to shake as Butterfree unleashed his psychic attack. Onix groaned and shuddered in his slumber.

"Again Butterfree! Put a bit more power into it this time."

This time the debris around Onix rose and vibrated as Butterfree brought his psychic powers to bear. Onix curled up and moaned in pain.

_No. No. Not this. _Onix mumbled. The telekinetic and telepathic battering were giving him a nightmare.

"Once more Butterfree. As strong as you can make it." Ash commanded.

Brock watched his pokémon, anguish plain on the gym leader's face. It would be a disservice to recall his pokémon now, when it hadn't even had the chance to fight. At least Aaron's pokémon's attacks weren't really hurting it.

"Come on. Come on. Come on. Wake up please." Brock muttered. Shouting was no use; moves that forced pokémon to slumber usually caused a sleep deep enough to endure being attacked. The shouting of one's trainer would have little effect on a slumber that deep.

Butterfree furrowed his brow in concentration and drew his head back, as he gathered the full force of his mind. The entirety of the gym seemed to go still as the power of the attack grew and everything was silent, as if the structure itself was holding its breath in anticipation.

He shattered that still and silent moment in an instant, thrusting his head forward and turning loose the power he had gathered. Butterfree glowed with an ethereal purple light for an instant and then Onix began to glow as well.

Butterfree's attack managed to lift the mass of living rock that was Onix, battering him with wave of telekinetic force from all directions. Whats-more the telepathic blast assaulted his sleeping mind like a battering ram.

_No. I don't want to go in the water. No no no NO! Get me out! I don't want to drown! Help me Brock. _Onix cried out, in the grip of a nightmare. The rock-type began to writhe and thrash, breaking free of Butterfree's attack. It threw its body around the battlefield, smashing the and destroying everything around it.

"Make it stop!" A high pitched voice cried out from above. It took Ash a moment to realize that it was human. He looked at where he guessed the source of the voice was. A group of children stood on walkway by the upper window, clutching the guard rails; the siblings Flint had told him about.

"Stop it you meanie!"

"Quit bullying Onix!"

"Be nice to my brother!"

_No. Cold. I don't want to be cold. Make it stop! Brock! Help me Brock! _Onix continued to thrash, slamming his head into the gym walls. His blows shook the building and left a nasty looking mark on his head.

_Brock! Why aren't you saving me? I'm sorry for whatever I did. Please save me. Don't leave me Brock! Brooooock! _

Onix slammed into the wall beneath Brock's siblings. Many of the children couldn't keep their balance and fell back on the walkway with pained and panicked cries.

The situation was completely out of control Brock realized. And very dangerous. He needed to end it before anyone got hurt. And he needed to stop his pokémon's suffering, he couldn't take it anymore. Brock would've taken the attack in Onix's place if he had known that this would happen. It would probably hurt less than the sight before him.

"I forfeit!" Odd, Brock mused, that didn't sound like his voice. Because it wasn't his voice, he realized, it was Aaron's.

"I give up! Just recall him. Help him!" Aaron shouted, tears in his eyes. He held up Butterfree's pokéball and recalled the bug-type. "Hurry up and help Onix!"

Brock wasted no time in recalling his own pokémon.

"Sssh. It's okay Onix. I'm here now. It's okay." Brock whispered soothing nothings to his pokémon inside the pokéball, until the ball quit shuddering.

With Onix comforted Brock turned to talk to Aaron, but he wasn't there. The only thing in that direction were the gym doors, slowly swinging to a close.

* * *

><p><em>You two did great, <em>Ash told Pidgeotto and Butterfree as they walked down the path away from Pewter City. Pidgeotto was perched on his shoulder, still recovering from the blow Geodude had dealt. Butterfree was fluttering behind them.

_Yeah. Butterfree you had them on the ropes! And Pidgeotto, you were overcoming the type disadvantage. Even if you didn't win you still put up a hell of a fight, _Pikachu added his own praise.

_Why'd you forfeit Ash? _Butterfree asked his trainer. _We could've won. _

_It was becoming too dangerous. Brock's siblings could have been hurt. Also... _

_He didn't like hurting Onix like that, _Pikachu finished for his trainer. _Ash it was only a nightmare. And Brock's siblings grew up around that pokémon, they would've known to get out of the way. You should have kept going until you won or Butterfree fainted. _

_No. It was too dangerous for everyone involved. I stand by my decsion. _Ash answered firmly. _Let's just head on to Cerulean City and get the badge from there. I hadn't known about advancements when I started planning for this journey so if we go by the original plan we should be good. I'll get that badge -_

_Someone's coming! _Butterfree warned.

"Aaron! Wait up!" It was Brock.

Ash stopped and let the gym leader catch up with the group.

"Why'd you leave?" Brock asked as he caught his breath. "I was gonna give you a badge."

"I don't deserve it" Ash returned mournfully. "I messed up and put your siblings in danger. I never- Ow! What was that for?"

"Excuse me. Who's the gym leader here?" Brock scolded. "I am. That means it's my responsibility to make sure that things stay safe during the battle, not yours. Got it? I screwed up when I underestimated you. Had I not done so I wouldn't have let Butterfree use Sleeping Powder and the danger would've been averted. My screw up, not yours."

"Alright. Sure. I was in the right." Ash replied, rubbing his head where Brock had swatted him. For some reason he struck Brock as insincere. But not about it being Brock's job to deal with the danger.

"You're a good kid Aaron, but you've got to learn what's your responsibility and what isn't," Brock continued. "You only need to worry about things that are your responsibility. Trust me, you'll find that to be more than enough as it is," he finished with a bitter laugh that made him sound a bit like Flint.

"What'd mean?" Ash asked.

"I mean you shouldn't go looking for more responsibilities then you have to. You don't want to end up stuck somewhere, unable to fulfill your dreams, because there's something that you must do."

"Huh?"

_I don't think he likes being a gym leader, _Pikachu told Ash quietly. _Make sure to wait a second before showing the look of comprehension. _

"Oh. I'm sorry." Ash said.

"Don't be. I should have recalled Onix sooner-"

"I meant about your situation."

"What about it?" Brock asked the smaller boy darkly.

"I heard about it from some old guy. I'm sorry that you're stuck in the gym-"

"Don't be. I mean, sure there are things I'd rather be doing." It sounded like he wanted to do those other things a lot more than he was trying to let on. "I want to become a pokémon breeder for example. But I was only trying to warn you about - No, screw it. You're right. I really don't want to be doing this. I love my siblings and I love the gym, but I want to pursue my own dreams. I don't want to be stuck here, battling every newbie trainer from Pallet Town and Viridian City. Aaron, don't be like me. Be sure to follow your dream. You've earned this badge."

Brock withdrew the Boulder Badge and presented it to Ash. The poké-raised boy took it reverently.

"Our first badge!" He said gleefully, holding up the badge to show his pokémon.

_Sweet! _

_Excellent! Our work payed off!_

_Cool!_ _I can't wait to get the next one!_

"And you've earned this advancement," Brock continued. He held out a bound wad of currency that Ash took and stuffed in his backpack.

"Aaron. Have a good journey. Fulfill your dream for my sake, since I can't."

"Actually, you can fulfill your dream, Brock." A new voice called out. Ash recognized it as Flint's. The old man slid down the ledge by the path's side. His left hand was no longer bandaged. Ash could see part of a long, thin, scar peeping out from under the long sleeves Flint wore. It looked pretty recent.

"I know you from somewhere," Brock said, tapping his chin as he tried to remember. Flint gulped nervously. He looked like a man about to jump into a fire.

"You should." And then Flint took off his gap and revealed his beard to be fake by taking that off as well. Underneath it all he looked like an older version of Brock.

"Dad?" Brock said unbelieving, looking as if he had seen a ghost.

"Yes, son. It's me-" And suddenly Flint couldn't talk anymore. There was a fist lodged in his gut, which made both talking and breathing somewhat problematic. And standing upright. As he doubled over, Flint noted that the arm was paler than he expected. He looked up at the owner, surprised to see that it was Aaron, not Brock who had struck him.

Was it just his imagination, or had Aaron's eyes flicked blue for a second?

Ash was furious. This- This- thing was an insult. It's mere existence was an utter insult.

An insult to the Ketchums, sleeping eternally under stone markers.

And insult to Poison Lance, waiting back in the wilds around Pallet Town.

"Calm down Aaron," Brock cried out, pulling the young trainer back. "It's okay-"

"Honestly" Flint grunted. "I was expecting that from you, or at least you first."

"You- You- You-" Ash was too furious for words. The piece of filth had known everything he was doing wrong and had waited until _now_ to correct it. Disgusting.

"Calm down Aaron. It's okay," Brock told the young trainer, as he stopped Aaron from murdering his father.

"After all the-"

"Considering the little speech I just gave, it would be a bit hypocritical of me to get mad at him for following his dreams. But I take it that this is the guy you mentioned earlier?"

Ash nodded.

"I'm guessing that you've been in the area for a while now then. Too ashamed to show yourself?" Brock asked his father.

Flint turned away, shame evident on his face.

"Yes."

"Then I probably should hit you once for that. But since Aaron already walloped you good, I'll let it pass. I take it you'll be taking over the gym then?"

Flint nodded.

"Great! Oh and the little ones will be so happy to see you too! That's right, I've got to speak to you about some details that you'll need to be aware of."

Ash took the opportunity to calm down. This wasn't his business. He should be going.

"I'll leave you two alone then," Ash said as the turned around.

"Hey wait! I want to come with you," Brock told Aaron.

Ash and his pokémon would have won a synchronized twitching contest, if such a thing existed.

"Uh..."

"What you don't want me to come with? Why not?" Brock inquired.

"It's- It's just- Actually can I have a minute to think about it?"

"Sure. I've got to talk to Flint anyway."

"I'll just be over here," Ash told Brock as he climbed the ledge Flint had come down and went a little ways into the forest.

* * *

><p><em>He's not coming with! <em>Pidgeotto hissed to the group. _I'm not going to go through the whole 'Pretending not to understand' charade again. My trainer is one of the few humans I can have a conversation with and I happen to like that. _

_I don't know, _Butterfree trilled. _He seems like a nice guy. We could always use another friend._

_Then Ash can catch another pokémon! _

_But this human seems nice... _

_Actually, guys, we need to look at the bigger picture here, _Pikachu interjected.

_What bigger picture? _Ash asked his pokémon.

_The one where you're being chased by Team Rocket. I think we should let him come along. _

_We can take those Rocket idiots, _Pidgeotto declared. _We beat them the last couple times-_

_Just barely, _Pikachu responded. _We could have a gym leader with us to put the odds in our favor and make sure that no one steals our human. We can still get some time to talk to Ash, just tell Brock that we prefer to train alone or something like that. But if Team Rocket gets him, we may never see him again. _

_Fine. We can bring Brock I guess, _Pidgeotto huffed.

_You know, shouldn't this be my decision? _Ash asked, rolling his eyes.

_Fine. What do you say we do with him then? _Pikachu replied, also rolling his eyes.

_I guess we take him with..._.

_What an excellent display of leadership, don't you agree Pidgeotto. _

_Why indeed Pikachu. What an example he sets. _

_Yeah. Ash is really cool guys! _

_Butterfree... Butterfree Butterfree Butterfree. We have so much to teach you, _Pikachu moaned.

* * *

><p>"So why you want to go with that kid?" Flint asked Brock as they waited for Aaron to return.<p>

"He seems like a nice guy. Or at least that's the impression I got from the battle. And since I don't have a planned route I'm just going to wander at first. Since he's got a route I might as well tag along.

"Really that's it? Pretty much cause he's there?"

"That and there's something... off about him. It's odd. I can't quite place what it is."

"Still as curious as ever I see," Flint said with a smile. "That's nice to see."

"And- oh he's coming back."

Aaron slid down the ledge next to the reunited father and son, his pokémon following behind.

"I guess you can come with, if you want," Aaron said, looking down and rubbing the back of his head.

"Perfect! Wait here for a minute while I go grab my things. Then we can leave first thing-"

"Aaron Autumns! You owe me a new bike!"

"Who the blazes is that?"

"A long story that I'm evidently missing pieces of-"

_Oh that was _her_ bike, my bad... _

"And I'm not sure that I want them filled in," Ash finished as he turned to face the red head running towards him. Her face was red from some emotion that Ash couldn't identify, but from her shouting he guessed it was anger and nothing else. Nothing else whatsoever. Nothing at all.

Well, this should be good, Ash thought to himself, burying his hands in his face.

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

I'd like to thank Selm for beta reading this chapter.

Sorry this took so long. School was busy. And my beta's had a lot of stuff to deal with. Next chapter is probably going to be delayed for similar reasons, and because I'm not getting a lot of inspiration for it. All the inspiration I'm getting is for the chapter after the next one.

At least I've got a start on the next chapter this time.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own pokémon

It should have been a bright and peaceful day on the path leading to Cerulean City. It really should've. The sun was gently draping light over the landscape and providing the sort of warmth that would warm one to one's bone. No breeze rustled the small trees that populated the wild area outside the city but the air was dry and free without it. Clouds dotted the sky, occasionally passing before the sun for a brief moment before letting light shine down once more. All the elements were there to make it a bright a peaceful day, they really were.

But certain noisy individuals had to spoil it.

"Come on. You really don't want to go to Cerulean City. Let's go to Vermillion City instead!" Misty was almost pleading at this point.

"No. Cerulean City and its pokémon center are nearer. We're going there" Ash replied firmly try not to scratch his zubat bites. Ugh, so many zubats and so many Leech-Lifes and Supersonics. It was nice to be out of Mt. Moon.

He still couldn't believe Brock caught one of those pests. (And Brock's zubat had the gall to complain about it. What was he expecting, attacking a group of trainers like that).

"Yes, but Vermillion City's pokémon center is much better. You really don't want to go to Cerulean City. All the pokémon there are scary ghost-type pokémon with-" And Misty made what was supposed to be a scary face. "Fwaces dike dis."

Ash and Pikachu merely laughed.

_Oh now I'm really scared of all the ghost-types in Cerulean City now, _Pikachu said through his giggles. _Which reminds me Ash, next time we get a moment free I want to ask you about when we're going to Lavender Town to meet that ghost pokémon that used to be on the same team as Poison Lance and Pocket Watch._

"I thought most ghost-types lived near Lavender Town," Ash stated. "Is there a colony near Cerulean now too?"

"No," Brock answered, sounding amused. "Misty why don't you just tell us why you really don't want to go to Cerulean City?"

"No reason," Misty replied hurriedly.

"Obviously there's a reason or you wouldn't be trying to convince Aaron to go somewhere else," Brock calmly stated.

"You want to go to Cerulean City! Fine go to Cerulean City. See if I care. I'll just meet you in the Vermillion City pokémon center," Misty said, starting to storm away.

"Wait," Ash called out, rapidly digging in his pack for something. Misty paused for a moment and waited while Aaron searched. He pulled out a camp dinner.

"Take this," Ash said holding out the dinner.

"Uh, why are you giving me this?" Misty asked in confusion, reaching for the food.

"You need to eat more. You're too light. Are you sure you're not malnourished?"

Misty's face turned several different shades of red over the course of Aaron's sentence, from a shade attached to an emotion Ash couldn't identify, to what Ash had come to identify as rage.

"I'm not malnourished!" Misty insisted, indignant. "How do you even know that word anyway?"

"Read a book on it once," Aaron answered.

"You know your vocabulary is ludicrously sparse considering your literary pursuits," Misty commented

...

"You don't know many words considering how many books you read," Misty replied in answer to Aaron's unspoken question.

"Oh. Why didn't just say so? If you're not malnourished, then why are you so light?" Ash inquired, confused.

Misty's face turned the shade of red that signaled an emotion Ash didn't recognize.

"Are you a runt or something?"

And it was back to angry.

* * *

><p>It was the most secure building in the area. The most well guarded. Local thieves had completely given up on it. They considered it impossible to get in undetected.<p>

Other people didn't bother listening to underworld gossip before breaking in.

The security system posed no trouble to the intruders. Laser tripwires were laughed at. Electronically locked doors were hacked open with ease. Expertly set up zip-lines allowed for the easy bypass of pressure sensitive floors and walls. The security cameras had been tampered with the day before and the inserted code was starting to take effect.

The Sliph Co. building in Cerulean City stood no chance against the Rocket Trio.

They snuck down the final hallway and reached the final door. It was an office door guarded with a keypad. The code could be any of the millions of combinations of numbers, capitalized letters, un-capitalized letters, symbols, and a microphone for voice recognition.

Unfortunately Jessie knew the flaw in the production model and used the exploit to gain access to the room. It was small room, only containing an old fashioned safe. It would take the team about minute to crack it.

"You know I still say the maintenance people are messing with the vending machines," James whispered. "I wanted orange but it gave me lemon lime."

"Is that why you tapped that guy on the shoulder and smacked him in the face?" Jessie asked in a whisper.

"And why you hacked their computer and read their emails?" Meowth added.

"Sort of," James replied, shrugging. "And I wanted to see if they had any security robots. But let's focus on this. We just need this piece of technology and then-"

A beeping noise from his pocket interrupted him. A panicked expression of realization crossed their faces.

"It's six'o clock!" James somehow managed to shriek that silently.

"On a Friday!" Jessie added.

"I can't believe we forgot!" Meowth finished. "Screw this, we need to get going."

"There's a window! Let's get going."

And with a shattering of glass and the piercing call of dozens of alarms, Team Rocket exited the building.

* * *

><p>"Well I'll meet you at the pokémon center later," Brock told Aaron.<p>

They were standing in a small walkway in the suburban looking residential area of Cerulean City. The sun was beginning to set, covering all the houses on the gentle hill with an orange tint. Long shadows covered the ground and splashed onto the walls, adding black to the mix of colors.

"Cool. How long were you planning to stay here anyway?" Ash asked.

"Not too long. I have ... business to take care of here."

_That didn't seem ominous at all, _Pikachu commented.

_Hush you, _Ash whispered back, out of the corner of his mouth. He glanced around to see if there was anyone around. The area seemed to be deserted. Everyone must have been inside eating dinner. Ash released Pidgeotto and Butterfree as well.

_Ah. A bit of time to stretch my wings before stopping by the pokémon center, eh? _Pidgeotto said, hovering over Ash's head.

_And a bit of time of time to talk! _Butterfree trilled happily.

_We still get to talk, _Ash responded.

_Only during training. Thankfully they bought you're 'prefer to train in privacy and I want to try and do this on my own' excuse,_ Pikachu said. _Still it's not so bad traveling with them._

_Yeah, they're nice folks,_ Pidgeotto admitted. _Even if they do that weird training. Why does Brock need to train with a spiky metal club anyway? And why does Misty have those weird looking knives. Still, they're okay folks._

_You just like Misty cause she strokes you all the time and calls you 'pretty bird'. Though she seemed really nervous at first. Wonder why? _Ash pondered.

_She was attacked by a flock of flying-type pokémon, remember? She's probably spending so much time with Pidgeotto so that she doesn't develop a fear of flying types, _Pikachu answered.

_I feel so used now. But on the other hand, preening is preening, so I'm not going to complain._ Pidgeotto said, still hovering. _  
><em>

_It's better than when she's getting mad at Ash, _said Pikachu. _Although everyone gets mad at this idiot so-_

_She only gets mad because it looks like I'm being rude, _Ash told Pikachu. _Poison Lance warned me about this. Since I'm pretending to be a normal kid, people expect me to know all the normal stuff and when I mess up due to ignorance people think I'm being rude because it's the most likely explanation. Like the time she got mad at me for not going far enough from camp to relieve myself._

_You were behind a tree and had dug a hole. I really don't see what the matter was, _Pikachu spoke. _By pokémon standards you're being prudish._

_But not by human standard, _Ash raised a finger. _And then there's my table manners. Poison Lance did his best but I've only learned the very basics and I haven't learned those very well. And chopsticks still give me trouble. I keep forgetting not to eat a bowl of rice with my hands. Or that incident with the stew._

_Don't remind me. But that's another plus of travelling with them. Brock's cooking is awesome! _Butterfree exclaimed. _And they both were great at helping us get through Mt. Moon, after we helped those clefaries. I was surprised that we didn't run into the Team Rocket group. Maybe they've gone away!_

_Ash, when was the last time you were that lucky?_ Pikachu asked.

_When I got a over-powered pikachu for my starter, caught an awesome caterpie, and ran into a pidgeotto, _Ash countered.

_My point exactly, _Pikachu said without missing a beat. _You've used up all your luck on us. We're not free of Team Rocket yet._

_So no ditching the extra humans yet. Gotcha, _Pidgeotto replied.

_You just said they were nice folks. Why would you be wanting to ditch them already? _Ash asked.

_For the same reasons I didn't want them with initially, _Pidgeotto answered, shrugging her wings._ People are much more likely to discover your secrets under these conditions. We're just lucky that Team Rocket decided to hide your name back in Pewter City. Also, I don't like all the pretending we still have to do. Them being nice people simply makes it easier to bear._

_I'm sorry, _Ash looked down and grimaced.

_Don't be sorry Ash. It's not your fault, _Pidgeotto reassured her trainer.

_Well it sorta is for being human, _Pikachu interjected. _But that's okay. We all have our faults._

_For example, some of us aren't flying-types, _Pidgeotto shot a look at Pikachu.

_And some of us can't take a little electric shock, _sparks flew from Pikachu's cheek.

_And some of us can't do math very well, _Butterfree said, jumping into the back and forth.

_Uh, Butterfree, _Ash said hesitantly. _I think you missed what was going on there._

_Again! Aww! _Buttefree cursed.

_It's okay. Even we flying-types make mistakes sometimes, _Pidgeotto puffed out her chest.

_Like annoying an electric-type, _Pikachu shot back.

_Enough with the type chauvinism everyone, _Ash said.

_Says the human type who stuffs us into little red balls, _came Pikachu's retort.

_I don't stuff you into a little red ball._

_'Cause I'm awesome. Now what's the plan for today?_

_Go to the pokémon center. Go to the gym, _Ash listed. _Get our butts kicked. Hope to do good enough that pity is taken upon us and we get a badge. Go back to the pokémon center. Maybe get some ice cream._

_Ice cream? What's that? Is it good? _Butterfree asked.

_It's a cold dairy desert. It's pretty good. Lots of sugar, _Ash informed his bug type.

_Oh, that sounds great. We butterfrees need a lot of sugar in our diet you know._

_Can get a berry pot pie with extra meat? _Pidgeotto requested. _That would really hit the spot, especially after a gym battle._

_Why are you guys focusing on the food part of Ash's plan and not the 'get our butts kicked' part, _Pikachu said crossly. _You two took Brock and as long as this gym doesn't focus on ground-types, I can assist as well._

_We took Brock because he underestimated us and he's a newish gym leader, _Ash calmly stated. _We got lucky. These guys- err, wait, I think Brock said it was a bunch of sisters co-leading- will probably know that we've got at least one badge. They'll be merciless. It'll be an utter defeat._

_Only if you go into with that attitude, _Pikachu told his trainer.

_Oh, we'll get the badge. We just won't win._

_I guess that's better than nothing. I wonder how that Gary person did._

_Don't know, _Ash replied. _Not very well probably, considering how impatient he seems. He didn't need to vandalize that sign to tell me to hurry up._

_How'd he know that you were still coming, _Pidgeotto asked.

_Must be talking to his grandpa, _Ash guessed. _I hope nobody's hacked the video phone networks or it would be pretty easy to track us. Can't believe Brock and Misty make me check in with him almost every time we go to a pokémon center. It's annoying._

* * *

><p>"Why are you wet and shivering? Is that ice?" Ash asked a trainer in the waiting room. The teenager was huddled in a chair, with bits of ice on his person, and was dripping water everywhere.<p>

The trainer turned to Ash.

"I- I- I'm sworn t-t-t-to secrecy" the boy said through chattering teeth. "I n-n-never expected this t-t-to happen when I left Pall-Pall-Pallet Town."

"Oh, you're a trainer who started out in Pallet Town too?"

"Th-th-third one who s-s-set out. You must be A-a-a" The trainer sneezed mid sentence. "Aaron Autumns."

"Yep."

"Arceus have m-m-mercy on your soul."

* * *

><p>The three sisters dove into the waver accompanied by the cheering of their fans. They sliced into the clear cool waters below with nary a splash and resurfaced briefly in perfect unison to grab a breath of air while doing a spin with their arms splayed out.<p>

It was a new routine, one that they had started a few weeks ago. Unlike their previous routines the music here alternated between mournful and nervous, sorrowful strings and anticipatory drums mixed with brass. The movements of the sisters themselves reflected the music, from slow graceful strokes and spins to frantically expanding and contracting patterns.

Rumors abounded among the fans as to the origin and reason of this new routine. Some thought that a lover of one of the sisters had died, others thought there had been a death in the family, and others pondered that it might be a reaction to classified information from the League.

Whatever it was that had spawned the routine was irrelevant. The routine was still great and the fans loved still loved it despite its relatively unusual nature.

Though some did wonder if it had any connection as to how recent gym battles had been conducted.

* * *

><p><em>I had a rather strange encounter today, in the pokémon center. Some poor trainer was wet and frozen in the waiting room. When I asked him what had happened he said that he had been sworn to secrecy and then when he found out I was a trainer from Pallet Town he said 'Arceus have mercy on your soul.' <em>Ash told Pikachu as they wandered into the lower levels of the Cerulean city gym. The hallway was lined with tanks of water filled with aquatic life.

_Is there a legendary going around attacking Pallet Trainers? Has the professor offended Articuno? _Pikachu inquired nervously.

_No, I doubt its anything that serious- Oh hey, those aren't pokémon in that tank._

_Course they're pokémon- oh, wait you're right, _Pikachu peered intently at the lifeforms in the tank.

_Right, they're animals. Those non-sentient things that we use to get most of our meat, _Ash commented.

_Yeah, I never really got that. I'm a herbivore and all, but I don't see anything wrong with eating pokémon. Don't see why you humans tend to shy away from doing so, _the pokémon said to his trainer.

_We prefer that our mass food production doesn't include the deaths of thousands of sentient creatures, _Ash answered, thinking that he preferred all of his food not to come from sentient sources._ We'll still eat the occasional pokémon dish, we just refuse to raise them for the slaughter and kill them by the millions._

_Wait you raise animals just to eat them! That's just wrong! _Pikachu's ears twitched to an upright position.

_Non-sentient, and if we didn't raise them most of them would be eaten by pokémon a lot_ sooner, Ash explained. _ I've actually read books on the subject, and some postulate that the only reasons any land based animals survived is because humans domesticated and protected them. Animals in the sea were protected by the immense size of their habitat but they remain somewhat rare. Wow, there are a lot of fish in this gym. It's like an aquarium._

_Huh, I wonder what pokémon these sisters will have,_ Pikachu pondered_. Wait, I hear footsteps. Time for you to be another stupid human._

They rounded a bend in the hallway and came across three damp women with towels around their shoulders. The best way to describe them was curvy. Their hair was wavy, their clothes were wavy, and their waists and hips were, well curvy. Their... upper assets were of a moderate size but still made another curve. All of the sisters were wearing different color garments that seemed to be a cross between a one piece swimsuit and a very short dress. There was a strawberry blonde wearing red, one with blue hair wearing green in the center, and one with pink hair wearing orange and a blue bow-tie on the other side.

"And they totally dug today's performance."

"I know. I guess- oh hi there. What do you want?" The blue haired sister asked when she noticed Ash. "We don't do autographs this late after the show."

"Umm, I'm looking for the gym leaders. Ya know, for a match. Do you know where they are?" Ash asked, rubbing the back of his head.

"You're, like, looking at them" the strawberry blonde said. "I'm Daisy."

"I'm Violet" the blue haired sister announced.

"And I'm Lily" the pink haired one finished.

"And we're the Sensational Sisters of Cerulean City!" They said together in unison, smiling at the surprised kid.

_After Team Rocket I'm a bit wary of people of people who say things like that in unison, _Pikachu said from atop Ash's head.

"Where did you start out from, by the way?" Lily asked.

"Uh, I started out from Pallet Town," Ash replied.

The sisters smiles changed somehow. They became empty and hungry, while keeping a thin rotting veneer of sweetness.

_And that isn't helping the issue at all._

* * *

><p><em>"<em>You know we've had a couple other trainers from Pallet Town come through here," Daisy commented to Ash as they entered the arena. "Those were devastating battles. They ended in utter defeat."

"I mean it's gotten to the point where this is the best pokémon we've got to face you right now," Violet said, releasing a seal from a pokéball.

_Oh great another Pallet Trainer. We're going to do the same thing to him that we did to the rest?_ The water-type asked its trainers, rolling its eyes. _And I have to act weak and stupid?_

It was obviously a well-trained pokémon. It was easy for one who had spent as much time among them as Ash had to tell. Its fur was in pristine condition, there was absolutely no hesitation in any of its movements, and its eyes were sharp.

The arena was a giant pool with a platform for trainers to stand on place at either side. The ceiling was high enough for flying type pokémon to maneuver, but not high enough to let them completely remove themselves from the attack range of the pokémon down below.

And there was that trainer from Pallet Town that Ash had met in the pokémon center. Wet and frozen. And here was a water gym and a pokémon with ice type moves.

Despite what some may occasionally say about him (namely Pikachu), Ash Ketchum wasn't an idiot. He could be over enthusiastic and extremely thick headed at times but that didn't mean he was completely stupid.

He could put two and two together. But didn't Daisy just say they had lost. He went over the sentence in his head. Closely, like Poison Lance had taught him. Okay she said they ended in defeat. But unless the battle was a draw, the battle had to end that way for at least one party. Shouldn't she have said 'in our utter defeat'?

No, from the looks of their pokémon, she meant 'in their utter defeat'. And from what the seal had said she had tried to trick him. It probably would've worked if he couldn't understand pokémon.

Ash gulped. This was going to hurt.

"Before we begin, Pallet trainer, what's your name, " Lily asked, smiling in a predatory manner. She must have picked up on Ash's nervousness.

"Oh yes, please tell us your name," Violet asked, starting to pace around Ash. The other two also started to circle Ash. It reminded him of Pikachu's tale about being cornered by three persians when the electric-type was young. He really wanted to leave this situation. Oh why did Brock and Misty have to abandon him today. He could use a pair of human shields.

"I'm Aaron Autumns," he managed to squeak out.

"Aaron Autumns," Violet said, a thoughtful expression overcoming her face. The name seemed familiar for some reason. Wait, wasn't it the name of- Why yes it was.

"Wait, you're Aaron Autumns?" asked Lily.

"Like really?" Daisy said.

"Um, yeah," Ash Ketchum responded.

And suddenly he was caught in a triple embrace.

_They're trying to smother us with their chests! _Pikachu screamed. _Help! Murder!_

"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you." And they all murmured. They sounded upset. Ash would've looked at their faces to confirm this, but he was too busy trying to breathe.

_I think they're crying, _Pikachu stated.

"Oh thank Arceus you came along. If you hadn't she would've died," Violet sobbed.

Ash, as stated earlier, wasn't an idiot. He could tell what they were referring to.

"You're all Misty's sisters?" His voice was muffled, so he had to tilt his head up and repeat himself.

"Yeah, the Three Sensational Sisters of Cerulean City, and the wandering Sensational Sister. But never tell her we call her that. Her ego would grow to big," Lily chuckled through her tears. She wiped her eyes. "Damimit, she could've died there and we would have, like, never known about it."

"I can't even think about it," said Violet, falling back to sit down on the floor. "I really can't. It hurts too much. Oh Arceus, it hurts too much to even imagine. I don't want to go through actually losing her."

"We were worried at first when she left the gym to go travel the rest of the world and get better," Daisy stated, futilely trying to still the stream of tears. "But she seemed skilled enough. And then that happened and I just to want hug her and make sure she's alright. And then never let her leave our side again."

"She hasn't even tried to contact us again," Violet sobbed. "She's trying to keep it a secret or something but she almost died and we haven't been able to talk to her or anything."

"We only learned about it from the Viridian Nurse Joy and that's because it's required that a pokémon center contact a gym when a member of the gym is treated at that center. If it wasn't for that little piece of bureaucracy we wouldn't even know that we almost lost our little sister" Lily said through her tears.

"I know we haven't been dealing with it in the best manner, taking it out on the trainers from Pallet Town. But dammit, someone should've been keeping an eye on the wild pokémon and Pallet Town obviously wasn't," Daisy began.

"Hey!" Ash interrupted. "That flock was new. I also have it on good authority that an attempt was going to be made to deal with them that day." Ash was just leaving out the part where it was an old weedle who was planning on dealing the murderous flying-types not any humans from Pallet Town.

"Maybe, but a fat lot of good that would've done given Pallet Town's record. You would think that the town's secure and all, being near the center of League power, but you've got menaces like that stupid flock and then there were the Ketchum murders," Violet retorted. "A large scale attack on a single family and Pallet Town didn't even know about it until the next morning. That town needs to step up and shape up. It needs more trainers like you Aaron Autumns."

"Yeah. I know that none of us doubt that you deserve this," Lily said, holding out a tear shaped badge.

"Just don't tell any of the other Pallet trainers how you got it," Daisy said smiling even as the tears flowed. "We wouldn't want them getting jealous after all."

"Aaron, did you stay at the Viridian center until Misty woke up? Did she say where she was headed next? We haven't been able to find her in any of the pokémon center records we've looked at. Please tell us" Violet pleaded.

"She said that she'd meet me and Brock at the Vermillion City pokémon center. For some reason she didn't want to come here."

"Wait, you've been travelling with her? No wonder we couldn't find her in any of the center records. We never thought that she'd start travelling back towards Cerulean City. But if she's going with you," Daisy said.

"Why's she traveling- Oh! How cute! Misty's got her first crush!" Lily exclaimed.

What did she mean by that? The fearow was trying to eat her eyes, not use intense pressure to damage her body.

"And its on the boy who rescued her! It's so romantic," Lily cheered with sparkles in her eyes.

How was trying to kill him by using pressure to break his bones and reduce his organs to pulp romantic? He must be missing something here. Ash hoped that he was missing something here or this gym was led by crazy sadists. He'd have to ask Brock later. That guy had to know all about romantic stuff, considering the way he wrote poetry for the nurse Joy at the Mt. Moon pokémon center.

"But wait, if she's in the area" Daisy said, thinking out loud.

"Then she would..." Violet continued.

"Aaron, here's your advancement. Where were you going to meet up with the other kid you mentioned?" Lily said to Ash, handing him a wad of bound currency.

"At the pokémon center. Why?" Ash replied.

"Go wait there for a bit. We'll send someone over with a message in a little bit," the pink haired sister told the young trainer.

"Okay."

_Wonder what that's all about?_

* * *

><p>She had managed to find her spare sweater and some long pants that fit as well as the tools to repair her current set of clothes. Misty also managed to grab an extra set of her favourite outfit, the usual jean shorts and yellow tank top.<p>

For some odd reason she decided to grab her pink kimono. She was just doing this on a whim, she told herself, fighting that stupid blushing habit that she had picked up.

Perfect. She had gotten all the things she needed from her old room and her sisters should be distracted battling Aaron. Or doing synchronised swimming. One of the two. Now she just had to leave the gym and leave her sister none the... wiser.

And there they were in the doorway, all three of them. Daisy was tapping her foot and giving Misty a dirty look. Lily was trying to give Misty a dirty look as well, but the effect was ruined as she had to hold back tears. Violet was smiling at Misty, with tears slowly leaking out of her eyes.

"Thought you could stop home without saying hi to your sisters?" Daisy growled, stepping into the room.

"Misty, we've been worried about you," Lily scolded, following Daisy into Misty's room.

Violet didn't say anything. She simply entered and then enveloped her youngest sister in a hug. Lily folded and followed suit.

"Dammit Misty. You didn't call or write or anything. You thought we wouldn't hear about you nearly being killed by a bunch of spearows and a fearow!"

"Hey I don't remember much about the fearow. I was out at the time," Misty protested. "How did you even know I was in town?"

"We asked Aaron about your travel plans and he revealed that you were travelling together," Violet explained with her eyes closed, pulling Misty into an even tighter embrace.

"And when we heard what you told him," Lily continued, also tightening her embrace. "That nonsense about meeting up in the Vermillion City pokémon center. It was easy to see what you were really up to."

"What's wrong with you!" Daisy shouted. "You're sneaking into your own home just to avoid us! Why! Why couldn't you at least tell us that you're fine! Misty do you really hate us that much?" She had started crying again.

"No!" Misty responded desperately. "No, that's not it at all. I swear." Tears started to well up in her own turquoise eyes.

"Then why?" Daisy sobbed, catching the group of sisters in a hug.

"It was... nothing. I'm sorry. I guess I didn't want to worry you," the youngest sister replied. "How'd you even find about it?"

"Pokémon centers are required by the League to report to a gym when one of their members stops by for medical treatment. Not for their pokémon, but for themselves."

"I forgot about that," the red head replied. "That explains a lot."

"Now put your stuff away. We'll go out to a nice restaurant, oh and you have to go to the pokémon center to tell Aaron and that other kid that you're not coming with-" Violet started.

"What! No! I'm not quitting my journey!" the red haired sister protested.

"It's much too dangerous for you out there," Daisy said. "This incident just proves it. You're staying home until you've had more training."

"No. I'm travelling to get stronger. More training here won't help me," Misty protested. "It was a freak occurrence. Who could've ever predicted there'd be a flock of psycho spearows led by a fearow strong enough to counter a Thunder with a Mirror Move Thunder."

"It doesn't matter," Violet began.

"And I'm travelling with another gym leader as well" the youngest Sensational Sister continued. "Brock used to be the Pewter City gym leader, but his father came back and now he's free to wander. Plus Aaron's also going and he's a complete newbie. Talented and he's got some strong pokémon, but a complete newbie all the same. He's been having trouble with a group of Rockets and its my duty as a member of a League gym to help him."

"And not because you have a crush on him," Violet teased as she held her youngest sister close.

"I do not have a crush on that- that- that boy!" Misty screeched, face starting to match her hair.

"Misty," Daisy pleaded. "We nearly lost you once. Please don't go."

"It'll be okay Daisy," Misty reassured her old sister. "I'll be fine. Really. As long as Aaron doesn't go around trying to punch legendaries or something I should be able to handle it."

"At least stay for dinner," Lily asked. "It's the least you could do."

"Alright. You win there. But you'd need to let go if we're going to go eat," the youngest sister answered, smiling.

"But I don't wanna," Violet protested. "Just a little bit longer, okay?"

"Okay."

* * *

><p><em>Isn't that Misty?<em> Pikachu asked, observing the latest person to enter the pokémon center.

"I thought you were going straight to Vermillion City. What are you doing here?" Ash asked the water trainer.

"Change of plans," Misty replied taking a seat next to Aaron. "Where's Brock?"

"Still hasn't shown up yet. I met your sisters. They're nice people."

"Yeah. They're not so bad." Misty smiled. "It's a good thing you weren't older, or they might've tried to thank you some other way."

"What does age have to do with thanking people?"

Misty face-palmed.

Touched up as of: 12/15/2013

Added the line breaks back in: 4/27/2014.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not own pokémon.

* * *

><p>Wisps of gray clouds floated across the face of the moon as it crowned one of the small, forest clad mountains that covered the land. In a few days the night sky would be graced with the glory of a full moon. Not that most of the Rocket grunts sneaking through the underbrush of the expansive forests cared.<p>

A bush rustled as Yuu Itou moved through it, dressed in his black Rocket uniform with a giant red R emblazoned on his chest, an emblem that he bore proudly. In his left hand he carried a machete and in his right he carried a hatchet. He was from a small coastal town that had been ravaged by a gyarados attack. As he knelt in the ruins of his home Yuu came to realize the truth. That pokémon were nothing more than monsters, that the only coexistence between man and monster was for man to exploit monster. To exploit them and then exterminate them when they are no longer useful.

And with that realization he joined Team Rocket.

He had been assigned to a unit tasked with locating a hidden group of pokémon, that rumor held, had been abandoned by abusive trainers or had lost their trainers in some fashion. Some rumors even speculated that wounded wild pokémon lived among the group. It was Matthew and his comrades job to capture these pokémon.

As he stepped over a large root, barely visible in the moonlight, he heard the sounds of movement up ahead. Yuu stopped for a second. All of the other Rockets were behind him and there shouldn't have been any other humans in the area. Therefore it was probably a wild pokémon up ahead.

Yuu hefted his axe. If the group that they were seeking did exist Team Rocket couldn't let them know that they were hunting for them. Thus any wild pokémon they encountered had to be eliminated. He was gonna enjoy this. But then again it could be a useful pokémon. He turned the hatchet around so that he could strike with the blunt side. They could just capture this pokémon.

The Rocket Grunt stopped and peered out into the dark forest. Spots of pale moonlight shone down upon trees that were gray in the night, giving them a diseased look. Silence and stillness blanketed the forest as Yuu looked for the source of the noise. He strained both his eyes and ears for any sign of movement.

Nothing. There probably hadn't been anything there in the first place.

Yuu lowered his hatchet and began to move forward again. And then something shot out from the underbrush ahead, too fast for the member of Team Rocket to react properly. He fell backward even as he felt wind brush across his throat. Whatever the attack had been it must have missed.

Dammit, there had been a pokémon out there. And the monster had attacked him. He would make sure that it regretted missing him for the rest of its days.

Before Yuu could get up he felt something warm and wet on his throat. What-?

He tried to take a breath but started to choke instead. Blood, black in the night, ran down his front, covering his uniform and the R he bore so proudly.

More things sped from out of the forest and Yuu Itou knew no more.

* * *

><p>Daichi Satou prowled through the dark forest, his crossbow at the ready. He was prepared to kill any non-Rocket that they came across, be it human or pokémon. He didn't care. He didn't care about most things that he did for Team Rocket, so long as they kept paying him. Theft, blackmail, kidnapping, extortion, murder, any criminal activity they offered him money to do, he would do.<p>

In fact the last assignment that he had been on was what led to this current one. He was on a team that was tasked with kidnapping some young pokémon from a prominent breeder. Evidently this current batch was supposed to have some unique and valuable traits that made them very valuable. Especially for Team Rocket. They had planned on abducting the new born pokémon and then giving them to the Team Rocket trainers, who would raise them to be the perfect fighting and killing machines.

But the damn breeder had interfered and they had been forced to kill him first. Deciding to make an example of him, the Rockets had began to desecrate his corpse before they left, leaving only a small number to guard the young pokémon. But they had been interrupted by the arrival of the police. In the ensuing fight they had not only lost several members but a large number of the new born pokémon somehow managed to escape. But later, Rocket intelligence had reported that no humans had taken them in. Further investigation turned up rumors about the hidden village and then this mission was authorized.

They needed to recapture the escaped pokémon as the Team Rocket trainers had been rather upset about losing so many members. They had taken it out on the young pokémon and several had died, costing Team Rocket valuable resources. More of the breeders pokémon were required to ensure a stable pool for battle, breeding, and experimentation.

Daichi peered through the gaps in the trees. Tonight was a quick scouting mission, to ensure that there were no human witnesses in the area and to clear out the wild pokémon when they should be sleeping. So far they hadn't encountered humans, but they had captured a nest of pidgeys. They would make good covert messenger birds since nobody paid attention to them.

He ducked under a low hanging branch and suddenly felt something coil around his neck and squeeze. Gasping for breath, Daichi was yanked off of his feet, grasping at what felt like a vine around his throat. His crossbow fell towards the forest floor, but before it could hit, another vine shot out and grabbed it. Then the vine retracted and the crossbow disappeared into the trees.

Two more vines wrapped around Daichi's head as he struggled. They tightened and squeezed his head painfully until he let out a whimper that both pained and panicked.

There was a twist-

* * *

><p>Tamuki Tanaka heard a sharp crack from Daichi's position. The idiot! They were supposed to be maintaining silence. That was the only reason Tamuki didn't shout at him for being an idiot and blowing their cover. Tamuki clutched his short swords tighter as he walked around a large rock.<p>

Tamuki had grown up hearing war stories from his grandfather, who had lost both legs and his left arm in the great wars that had shattered all semblances of central authority all over the world. He had told the little boy all about both the weapons and the pokémon used in that terrible conflict. The stories had convinced Tamuki that pokémon needed to be strictly controlled lest they devastate the world. None of that 'love' or 'believing in your pokémon' nonsense that the League spouted.

The war stories also convinced Tamuki that the world needed to be rebuilt. His country's former glory could be restored and then increased. So he joined Team Rocket to help unite all the people within the nation and led them to glory under a new banner. They would conquer the world under this banner and then move on to the other planets in the solar system, and then finally found an empire that would reach across the stars, and it would be all thanks to him and the other Rockets.

He heard more noise coming from Daichi's position. It seemed like the idiot was coming closer. He'd have to report the idiot for this breach of discipline. Tamuki turned to snarl at the errant Rocket but there was no one there. Daichi was no where in sight.

Then what was making that-

Four long thin dark shapes shot out from the shadow of a nearby tree. Before Tamuki could even register them one wrapped around his torso, pining his arms. Another bound his legs together, and one more wrapped from his chin to the top of his head preventing him from shouting.

_I don't like scum like you talking._

The final shape, a vine from the feeling of the others, whipped the swords that Tamuki still clutched from his hands. Something round and hard hit him in the shoulder and stuck there. Tamuki could feel something starting to creep out from the point of impact, shredding his jacket and entangling him in a net of flora.

_Heh. Almost forgot to make it the lethal version of Leech Seed._

Pinpricks of pain came into being all over the captured Rocket's body. Things entered him, pushing through skin, and writhing inside the human's body like a plague of parasitic worms. Every beat of his heart became pain as the tendrils pierced into the organ. Breathing became impossible as his lungs were bound and punctured. Blood, black in the night, began drip down the mass of plant life binding Tamuki.

The idealistic member of Team Rocket tried to scream once before he died. But it was impossible. And so he passed away silently in the night.

_All this junk food's probably bad for me, _Bulbasuar muttered as the Leech Seed vines gave off a very faint red light and he absorbed their energy. _Meh. Everyone's got their vices._

* * *

><p>"I think little Oddish was worried about you," a woman's voice remarked to Bulbasaur as he entered the cabin.<p>

The plant dinosaur turned to look at the speaker. She was a woman of average height, wearing red overalls and pink shirt. Her hair was short and blue, the same color as her eyes, and it was crowned with a red head band. Her right hand was bare. Her left was covered with a black leather glove which she rarely took off. Her neck was covered by medical tape, but near the top, by her left cheek, one could make out a trace of crinkled red and black flesh.

Her name was Melanie and she ran the hidden pokémon village.

_I'll go check up on her, _Bulbasaur replied.

"Could you please check up on her? Or did you just offer to do that?"

_Yep!_

Melanie giggled. "That's what I get for asking a stupid question."

_I'd mock you, but you wouldn't understand me._

"And I imagine that was some sort of sarcastic retort."

_Woman you wound me!_

Melanie giggled some more. After a moment she took a breath and grew somber.

"Did you run into another group tonight?"

_Yes. _Bulbasaur nodded as well.

The human woman closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her blue orbs opened once more.

"Do you know if they were tracking the hatchlings or us?"

Bulbasaur shook his head.

"Did they talk at all?"

The plant-type shook his head again.

The pokémon caretaker steeled herself in preparation for the next question.

"Did you have to kill them?"

_There is the slight possibility that I could have let them go, but I chose to play it safe, _the bulb carrying saurian stated, while nodding his head.

The pretty human bowed her head and sighed.

_Why do you care if Rocket scum lives or dies? After what they did to your team you should be happy to see them get killed off. Arceus, after what they did to you alone, you should be ecstatic to hear that one of them's snuffed it Melanie. Or three of them in this case._

"I wish it hadn't come to this. Bulbasaur, are you alright? They didn't hurt you or anything, did they?"

_Didn't even know I was there until it was too late, _Bulbasaur replied, shaking his head.

"At least we get that one bit of good fortune," Melanie said wistfully. "I'm so sorry Bulbasuar. I wish that I never needed to ask you to do this for us."

_I don't recall you doing a lot of asking lady. Or initiating this whole, 'I'll protect the village' thing. If I recall correctly, I broached the topic and didn't exactly give you a chance to refuse. Psh. Ain't it just like a human to blame themselves for something that ain't their fault._

"Bulbasaur, you know I can't understand that."

_We really need to find some way to translate. Wouldn't it be just great if some idiot who understood pokémon waltzed in here?_

* * *

><p>Ash Ketchum sneezed in his sleep.<p>

_Gesundheit, _Pikachu said sleeplily.

* * *

><p>I think you should go get some rest. I've been telling the wild pokémon here to spread word about our Rocket situation so that other wild pokémon know to avoid us for the duration of this crisis. I've also been showing the abandoned pokémon the escape routes and asked them to take the little ones with them if they have to leave."<p>

_I'm not going to let it come to that. Leaving out the fact that I would never let any Rocket bastards or the like near enough to harm you, I'm not going to let those kids go through any more shit. Their breeder gets killed and desecrated in front of them, several of their number get kidnapped, and it was only through an act of providence that the wild pokémon nearby were able to get them to us. I ain't forgiving Team Rocket for that. And I ain't going to let them lose another home._

"Don't forget to check on Oddish," Melanie said.

_And don't forget to go to bed yourself._

"I'm just going to double check on the medicine I'm making, then I'll turn in."

_It's like you understood me!_

"You know I can't make out your words. You just happen to be predictable, that's all."

_Ouch._

* * *

><p><em>Big brother! Is that you? <em>A small voice called out from the dark room where the young pokémon slept.

_Hush Oddish. You don't want to wake up the others, _Bulbasaur gently chided. An oddish wandered out into the light from the open door. Bulbasaur extended a vine and gently rubbed the little plant-type's head. _You okay? _

_You were gone again. I was scared. _Oddish sniffled.

_I have to go every night. Make sure nobody's sneakin around. You know that. _

_But what if you don't come back? Why can't big brother just stay here? _

_Because I'm in charge of keeping this place safe. Don't worry I know the area too well to let them get the drop on me. Tell you what. Tomorrow I'll show you around. You haven't gotten to explore here yet, right? _

_Cool! Thank you big brother! _Oddish ran to the older plant-type and started to nuzzle him. Bulbasaur sighed.

_Alright, time for you to go to bed now. _

* * *

><p>"And I'm saying that this isn't a shortcut," Misty insisted.<p>

"Yes it is! Look here. According to the map," Brock began. The conversation about navigational choices between the former Pewter City gym leader and the member of the Cerulean City gym soon devolved into petty bickering and heated gestures at the map held between them.

_I think I should break this up, _Ash whispered to Pikachu.

_No, it's fine. They're not really fighting yet, _the electric mouse replied.

_Of course they are. Look at them. _The two trainers were shouting and there was a great flailing of limbs.

_Not really. They aren't exchanging blows or saying anything really hurtful. Just try and stay out of this one. And convince them to stick to the main roads if possible. I really dislike being lost. If we don't rejoin civilization soon we might- might- might have to go back to gathering food rather than buying it!_

_What's wrong with gathering food? It saves money that could be used for other supplies, _the pokéraised child replied.

_But the store food tastes so good!_

_Well then, we better get back to civilization soon._

_Don't try and be clever with me human. Let's just have a little snack._

_Nah, I'm good, _Ash said as he dug through his pack for a snack for the electric-type. _Snacks just make me hungrier._

_Then just eat a meal instead of a snack._

_Eh._

_Don't you want to enjoy that nice full feeling._

_I have no clue what that feels like. The best I feel after a meal is normal._

_Wait, what? Why didn't you just eat more._

_Do you know how hard it is to feed a growing human? Poison Lance had to teach me how to manage resources such as food early on. And he was worried about malnutrition from not eating enough until I did some research on the subject. I'm not about to waste money or food, they're both too precious._

_You need to learn to- oh, they're just about done arguing. Just give me the food and pretend to be a normal 'can't understand pokémon' human again will you?_

Ash was forced to sallow his retort out of necessity. Pikachu munched happily on the poké-snack while standing on Ash's shoulder. Brock and Misty were walking over to Ash.

"Hey Aaron, ready to take a break?" Brock asked.

"I don't care," the boy named Ash replied, shrugging.

He and Brock sat down on a nearby large rock overlooking a clearing where a small sparkling clear stream fell from an incline and gathered in a pool below. Misty sat down next to Ash. The two older trainers began to dig through their packs for something to eat. Pikachu, his snack finished, jumped off of Ash's shoulder.

Ash leaned back and observed the fluffy white clouds drifting overhead. Misty and Brock began to make small talk, their tones civil but terse, occasionally exchanging subtle insults. The pokéraised child rolled his eyes. He really didn't understand humans.

* * *

><p>Bulbasaur rested for a bit, lying down in a spot of sunlight painted on the forest floor. In front of him Oddish scampered about clearly delight both to be out of the village and to be spending time with her honorary big brother. It also did the older pokémon's heart some good as well to see the young plant-type play. Her joyful squeals and shouts reminded him why he did what he did and that he was successful in his attempts.<p>

Warmth from the fireball sustained by nuclear fusion overhead feel upon Bulbasuar like a mantle. Even though it reminded him of his inability to use Solar Beam, he was still part plant and the sunlight always did wonders for his type. His eyelids grew heavy but he was experienced enough to know to keep them open.

Besides, he wasn't about to go around napping in the day like some sort of old pokémon. He wasn't old, no he wasn't. Alright, so he had passed up a few evolutions and was of an unusual age for a bulbasaur, but certainly there were ivysaurs older than him! By the standards of the charmander evolutionary line he would be an adolescent by their standards.

_Big brother! Big brother! I'm thirsty! _Oddish called out from atop a tree root several yards away.

_There's a pool just south of here. It's got nice clean cool water, _Bulbasaur replied.

_Okay! _Oddish yelled as she started to scurry off to get a drink. Reluctantly Bulbasuar picked himself up in order to follow her.

* * *

><p>"Hey a pokémon!" Brock exclaimed. Ash's gaze shot downward to gaze where Brock was pointing. A small oddish was drinking from the pool, seemingly unaware of the trainers nearby.<p>

"I'm going to catch it!" Brock declared.

"No you won't!" Misty exclaimed. "It's by the water and water is my specialty!"

"Then why are you trying to catch a non-water type?" Ash asked.

"Just to balance out my team," Misty replied, shrugging. She reached to grab a pokéball from her bag.

The oddish looked up and caught sight of the trainer taking out a pokéball. Such things had been a rare and unfamiliar sight back with the breeder. Oddish had never seen the devices in great numbers until the night of the Rocket attack. Watching helplessly as her friends and siblings had been sucked up into the contraptions as the buildings burned and the breeder screamed...

_Big brother! Help! _Oddish cried out, voice cracking with fear.

"Misty wait!" Ash grabbed the red head's arm before she could release her pokémon.

"Aaron too hard!" the water-type specialist shouted in pain from Ash's grip.

"Sorry! Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry," Ash said letting go of her arm. "But we really shouldn't try and catch this pokémon."

"And why not?" Turquoise eyes flashed angrily as the girl glared at Ash.

"Look at it. It's awfully small for an oddish, it's obviously scared, but it's having trouble running away. It's probably a very young pokémon out with its mother," Ash answered.

The other two humans took another look at the pokémon. It was a bit small, but neither of them had much experience with the oddish evolutionary line, so they couldn't tell if it was small for its species. But what they could tell was that it was crying and trembling.

"Huh. Guess you're right," Misty admitted, pokéball still held in her hand. "But where's the-"

She was interrupted by vine whipping out of the forest and whipping the pokéball out of her hand. Misty let out a cry of pain and clutched the wounded hand.

A bulbasaur jumped out of the forest, landing between the humans and the oddish.

Bulbasuar growled as he surveyed the humans before him. He didn't know what they had done, but whatever it was had scared Oddish. Plus they were too close to the village for comfort. He had to drive them away.

_Bastards, _he growled at them, not caring that there was no way three random humans could understand him. _Go away!_

The bulb bearing saurian launched a Tackle towards the red haired human, who neatly stepped out of the way. His vines lashed out as he landed, but the female trainer dodged each blow with swift and efficient movements. She had some combat training. Either Rocket or League, Bulbasaur couldn't tell. Not good. And there were two others, a tall dark skinned boy selecting a pokéball from his belt and a shorter black haired boy in a cap standing next to a pikachu and just watching.

Crap. One of their pokémon was already out, he couldn't afford for them to let another out. Using Razor Leaf he forced the two older trainers to abandon their attempts to release their pokémon. Following up on the brief moment of opportunity that his last move gave him Bulbasaur lashed out once more with Vine Whip while leaping back to his previous position between the homo sapiens and Oddish.

_Get out of here Oddish, _Bulbasaur said to the little plant-type. _I'll hold them off for a bit and join you later._

Oddish squeaked something back that was probably acknowledgement of Bulbasaur's orders and dashed off back into the woods. Bulbasaur kept his attention on the humans. The dark skinned boy and the red haired girl both had selected pokéballs by now and were preparing to release their pokémon. But then the youngest human surprised Bulbasaur, putting his hands on his companions arms.

"Stop it you guys," the young human said, "the oddish is gone, and this bulbasaur seems like it was protecting it."

_Smart human, _Bulbasaur muttered.

_Not really, _the pikachu said. The black haired human's eye twitched slightly. Bulbasaur found that to be weird. But it wasn't time to dwell on such things. He had a perfect chance to withdraw and he was taking it. The plant-type jumped backwards into the forest and ran after Oddish.

"Aaron," Brock began, "I realize that you're new to this and all, but during a battle situation you should never interfere with your allies like you just did. If it had been more heated we might have struck you."

"But you guys were going to attack it," Ash protested, "and it just wanted to protect its friend-"

"We weren't necessarily going to attack it," the boy from Pewter City explained, "but we needed to have our pokémon out on the field in order to make sure that we could counter any attack it made on us. Next time you're in a combat situation, if you haven't had any training, let the more senior League members handle it. Okay?"

"Alright," Ash replied.

"Brock, do you think we should be preparing for possible lethal combat?" Misty asked the former gym leader. "That bulbasaur seemed pretty strong."

"Nah, we should be fine," Brock answered. "But just to be on the safe side, just make sure your equipment is within easy reach."

"I've been doing that for a while now," Misty muttered in reply.

"It's a good habit to get into," Brock returned. "Alright now we just have to figure out the way to Vermilion city."

* * *

><p>Pidgey landed on a branch in the upper boughs of the tree, just above the spearow he was meeting.<p>

_Howdy, _Spearow said to his smaller friend.

_Hey, _Pidgey responded.

_How's the kid?_

_She's doing great. I don't know too much about hoothoot biology but Hoothoot assures me that Hoothoot is growing properly. She'll be as big as her mother in a couple years._

_That's no saying too much._

_Oh shut up._

_She might end up bigger than you!_

_Actually... I've been thinking. It's going to be hard to care for a growing pokémon as I am. I mean dealing with predators, having to gather enough food, and all the human stuff that's been going on, is going to be tough. Maybe too much for a pidgey like myself. So I've been looking for ways to evolve soon._

_That should be easier for you than it would be for me, _Spearow admitted. _You double evolutionary pokémon evolve sooner._

_But I haven't really been working on it. I sorta wish now that I traveled with a trainer for a bit-_

_Then you wouldn't have met Hoothoot and had Hoothoot._

_You and your stupid logic. But anyway, I've been talking to some other pidgeys in the area and we're going to be forming a sparing group of sorts. Do you know anybody who would want in on this?_

_I know a couple. And count me in. I'll be uncle Fearow instead of uncle Spearow in no-_

Spearow was interrupted by the poisonous barb that burst through his head, trailing blood and brain fluid as it embedded itself in a different branch. Pidgey gaped, frozen in shock, as the suddenly lifeless corpse of his best friend slumped and then fell out of the tree, hitting the forest floor with a quiet thud.

"Alright, anyone else see any wild pokémon? I don't want to keep recalling and releasing Nidoking here. I might get annoyed and forget to tell him to watch where he's waving his tail," A human voice shouted from down below.

Pidgey quit breathing for an instant, his body going perfectly still, and his eyes scanning the area for any sign of another Poison Sting.

"Nothing? Good," the human's voice was accompanied by a flash of red light. There was no more noise for a short time until the voice spoke up again, closer this time. Obviously these humans knew how to move quietly.

"Alright, you should all know why I called you lot here. Status reports, all of you."

"No change in personal sir! We've explore sectors five and eighteen, nothing there."

"Minor injuries sustained from a trap in sector twelve, sir. Pitfall trap, apparently designed more for delay purposes than infliction damage. I request more personal to comb the surrounding sectors."

"Show me some evidence that it isn't another red herring and I'll think about it," the voice that commanded the nidoking replied.

"Yes sir! Nothing else to report."

"Three men went missing last night in sector sixteen."

"I do believe that makes nine total, the highest number of casualties any of the teams have suffered. Either you are getting close to the objective, or you are incompetent. Describe the manner of that you have your subordinates carry out the operation."

"I had them move in groups of three, spread out but staying within shouting range, to comb the forest for any wild pokémon or signs of the village-"

"Shouting range? I would imagine that such a broad group radius would make visual tracking of allied assets rather difficult no wouldn't it? Something that would be needed if they were individually taken out in perfect silence. As has been the pattern with several other nocturnal incidents. Incidents where the missing Grunts turn up in some pit, or at the bottom of some pool, or beneath the roots of a rather large tree? Given previous events I would be inclined to say that a deployment like that is rather incompetent."

What followed was the sound of flesh hitting flesh, the rustling of cloth, more flesh hitting flesh, a sickening crack, a muffled scream, more cracks, and then a percussion ensemble of flesh hitting flesh.

"Now that Team C has lost their leader," the human in charge said, sounding a little out of breath, "you can have some additional personal. But I also expect you to take over their responsibilities as well. Am I clear on this?"

"Yes sir!"

"Good. Finally, Combat Team? Your preparations?"

"They are complete sir. Or at least as complete as they can be while working with nothing but Grunts."

"Our resources are scarce. You know that. The only reason for our continued existence is the mole we have in the upper ranks of the League, not manpower or training. But I digress. We need to identify what the thing that has been harassing us is."

"Possibly a gym leader?"

"No, current intelligence indicates that all the gym leaders who could be responsible for the problems that we've been having are still in their home cities. In fact the only leader who has departed is Brock of Pewter City, and I doubt that a leader who uses an onix would be so subtle. Besides the League does not seem to know about the village."

"A member of the Elite Four perhaps?"

"Does the land look like it's become a glacier, a haunted wasteland, or been ravaged by dragons? The only one who would possibly bother with subtle is Bruno and even he would leave signs of his presence. Even if our intelligence on the Elite Four is nowhere near our intelligence on gym matters, we can at least tell where they've been."

"Possibly a contingent of Pokémon Rangers?"

"Possible, definitely a possibility we should consider. Combat Team, have your examinations of the bodies indicated anything regarding this possibility?"

"No sir. We lack the proper facilities to preform a proper autopsy and it is hard to identify the injuries with the bodies in the state that they are. But from what we are able to tell, they lack variance. It's like its the work of a single individual."

"Wait, you mean like the Wandering Ranger?"

Pidgey could smell the fear from the humans down below after that question.

"N-n-n-o-oooo, hiding the bodies doesn't exactly fit his M.O.," the voice that responded to Combat Team said.

"Besides if it were him, he'd have probably killed you as an ironic answer," the man in charge stated with only the smallest trace of fear in his voice. "I think we can discount him as a possibility. Can anyone think of anything else?"

"Perhaps a local pokémon..."

"Are you suggesting that one of those monsters is capable of this?"

"A pokémon which was well trained?"

"Only if directed by a human. Maybe whomever's in charge of the village has a former gym pokémon..."

Pidgey had regained his breath and the humans seemed to be engrossed in their own conversation. He needed to get far away from these humans and warn Hoothoot and get his family to the village so he could warn them as well.

Praying that one of Arceus's thousand hands would shelter him Pidgey took off, flapping his wings with all of his might, covering the area behind him with a quick Gust to deflect any poison stings.

The humans shouted something but Pidgey was too gaining too much distance to hear them.

* * *

><p>"Who made this bridge?" Ash asked his companions as they stood before a rope bridge.<p>

"What do you mean?" Brock asked.

"There aren't any trails here," Misty interjected. "And no sign of civilization. So why is there a rope bridge out here?"

"That's a good point actually," Brock admitted. "And I have no clue. But it sure is convenient."

"I don't trust it," Misty declared, folding her arms. "Can't we just find some place to swim across?"

Ash and Brock looked down at the river below. Their overactive imaginations made it seem like the rapid, rushing, relentless river below as beckoning them. They glanced back at Misty.

"What? It's not that bad," the water-type specialist replied.

"I'd rather find some place the canyon narrows a bit, climb down, jump across, and then climb back up," Brock suggested.

Ash and Misty looked down at the canyon walls. Their overactive imaginations made is seem like the rugged, jagged, and brutal looking rock walls of the canyon were hungry. They glanced back at Brock.

"What? It's only a little climb," the rock-type specialist asked.

_Take the bridge idiot, _Pikachu said. _Take the bridge before those two maniacs get you killed. _

"I'm going to use the bridge," Ash told his companions.

"Oh fine," the red haired trainer replied, pouting a little.

"As long as it here," Brock said starting to walk across the suspended wooden boards.

The bridge creaked ominously, but it didn't snap and fling Brock into the waters below. Taking that as a good sign, the trio started to cross the bridge.

Naturally they were about half way when one of the ropes snapped and flipped the bridge on its side. Pikachu grabbed onto Ash's shoulder as the human grabbed the new top edge of the bridge.

"Shit!" Brock twisted his body to survive the upcoming landing and hit the water with a large splash. His head poke above the water as the river swept him away.

"Brock!" Ash cried out as the boy from Pewter City vanished from view. Ash looked to both sides, desperately looking for Misty. He didn't see her.

"Misty!" The boy shouted desperately. There was no sign of-

"You really can't tell?" The voice of the Cerulean City gym member sounded out from below him. The pokéraised child looked down to see Misty clutching his legs, holding on for dear life.

"Oh, phew," the leaden weight of panic vanishing from Ash's chest making him feel light. "You really need to gain some weight. This can't be healthy."

"What is with you and your obsession with the nutritional well-being of others? You were worried that the condition of the fur on that one clefairy indicated that it wasn't getting the proper vitamins, and then-"

"It's a bad habit of mine," Ash admitted as he started to edge towards the opposite wall of the canyon.

_Due to the fact that Poison Lance passed his worry wart tendencies on to you._

"Whatever you just said Pikachu," Misty began, "I probably agree with you."

_Ha, she thinks I'm insulting you. _

"Exactly," Misty responded.

* * *

><p>"We need to head downstream to look for Brock," Misty said as soon as the two humans had regained their breath after making it to the other side.<p>

"How long till he's dead?" Ash asked, picking himself up. Misty shot a glare at him.

"He's a gym leader," Misty replied. "He had to go through worse during the survival test. He'll be fine. Now let's get going."

They headed down the canyon keeping an eye on the river for Brock. When the difference in elevation between the canyon walls and the river started to decrease as they went downhill, they started to look for any sign of Brock leaving the river.

It was unfortunate that their attention was peeled for all the wrong things to detect the trap under the tree branch that they were walking under. A net sprung up around them and yanked them up in the air, leaving them dangling from a tree branch.

"Okay," Misty deadpanned. "There's a net trap in the middle of nowhere. And a bridge that I'm almost sure was also a trap. Somebody's got too much time on their hands."

"We have to get out!" Ash began to panic. "If we don't get out then there'll be nobody to help Brock. And if nobody helps Brock, the river will push him into the ocean. And then a bunch of mean pirates will kidnap him and do pirate things to him and make him clean the decks and then they'll make him walk the plank and then sharpedos will eat him. Misty we've got to get out of here!" He finished clutching her tight. Misty's face turned bright red.

"Course. Let me go, I can get us out of here in a jiffy." Misty reached down the side of her shorts and pulled out what looked like a cross between brass knuckles and a knife.

"What's that?"

"Trench knife. I shoulda had it ready during the whole spearow thing, but I wasn't expecting any trouble around Pallet Town. Hang on to the net, it's dangerous to fall when there's a knife out." She began to cut the lower part of the net open, bit by bit, while Ash grabbed the other side. Misty made sure to grab onto her side of the net before cutting the final few strands.

Aaron/Ash yelped as the bottom of the net fell away and he was left hanging from one side. Misty put her knife away and dropped down, landing in a crouch. She glanced around, looking to see if the one who had made the trap had been alerted by her and Aaron springing it.

_Just let go you pansy, _Pikachu told Ash. The electric rodent jumped down and landed right next to Misty and looked up expectantly. Ash rolled his eyes and followed suit. The landing caused a stinging pain in his feet but he remembered to try and roll to reduce the damage. Pikachu jumped back on his shoulder and then the two trainers stood up and brushed themselves off.

"Aaron, Misty, there you guys are," a familiar voiced called out. Heads turned and the duo say the missing member of their trio. Brock, looking none the worse for the wear, was rushing over to them.

"Brock!" Ash cried out, glad to see his companion once more.

_I knew the fall wouldn't kill you. _

"How was the water?"

Brock glared at her.

"Where'd you go?" Ash asked.

"Funny story that."

* * *

><p><em>Big brother can we do this again sometime? I still had fun, even if there were those scary humans there. <em>Oddish said to Bulbasaur as they relaxed by the river of the hidden village.

The village was really a village in name only. There were three buildings, four if you counted the shack that covered the entrance to the power generator room underground. There was the cabin where Melanie and the younger pokémon slept, food was prepared, and other domestic activities. There was the medical building, where Melaine made the medicine and kept the injured pokémon for treatment, and then there was the equipment and storage building.

A creek flowed through the village, cutting the clearing that it was built in into halves, and providing water for the small pools on either side. Water pokémon lived in them and some of the other pokémon played in them.

_Sure, _Bulbasuar replied, yawning. It was the perfect time for a nice nap, to get some of the sleep he wasn't getting during the nights when he was busy killing Rocket Grunts.

_Yay! Thank you big brother! _Oddish squealed while nuzzling Bulbasaur.

Bulbasaur mumbled something as he shifted position, trying to get comfortable.

_Oh, Melaine's back! _Oddish said, before hurrying off to greet the human caretaker of the village.

Bulbasaur sleepily glanced up. Oddish squeaked in fright. Melaine had company, the three humans they had encountered earlier.

_Ah hell no. _

* * *

><p>AN: Sorry about the delay, there was finals week and then readjusting to my family. Stressful times. Next chapter coming soon.<p> 


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I do not own pokémon.

* * *

><p>"Of course we won't catch pokémon here," Ash reassured Melanie as she led him, Brock, and Misty into the hidden village.<p>

_Even he's got some manners, _Pikachu huffed. _And a sense of pokémon decency._

Ash wondered if human decency was a more appropriate phrase. But he had never learned about such a thing, so he guessed Pikachu's phrase would have to work for now.

"I'm glad. I know a lot of trainers would try and catch many of these pokémon that are currently weakened from injury," Melanie went on, "and the abandoned pokémon would be just as tempting."

Ash thought that if one replaced the word trainers with the word scum, the sentence would make more sense.

"We'd never do that," said Misty. "What exactly happens here?"

"This village is a place to care for injured wild pokémon and to help abandoned pokémon recuperate and move on," the pretty blue haired girl continued. "Many of them were formerly abused so we have to work through problems arising from that. We also monitor the health of the local wild pokémon population for any serious outbreaks of parasites or contagious infections. Finally, in certain circumstances, we watch over pokémon eggs and hatchlings."

"That's amazing Melaine!" Brock exclaimed. "And you do so much by yourself!"

"Well, I've actually had a lot of help from someone," the blue haired girl with the bandages admitted. "I was actually going to introduce you to him, once I found him."

_No introductions are necessary. What are they doing here! _It was a voice that Ash was sure that he had heard before. And in unpleasant circumstances. He turned his head to look at the source.

The bulbasaur that the trio had encountered earlier was behind them and judging by the intensity of its glare, attempting to launch a Solarbeam from its eyes. Misty and Brock turned and saw it. Misty's hand immediately went for her pokéballs. Bulbasaur unleashed his vines again, forcing her to dodge instead of deploying her pokémon. The plant-animal hybrid whipped out again with its vines, green, sinuous, and shiny as they sought to do the red haired trainer harm.

But Brock moved himself between her and the pokémon. His hands struck out and caught the vines, halting Bulbasaur's attack.

Bulbasaur used the captured vines to wrench himself into a flying Tackle attack. At the same time Brock yanked back to send the plant-type flying towards him for a headbutt. However neither anticipated the other's movements and thus they both were unprepared when their heads met with a resounding thud.

Brock staggered back, resisting the urge to clutch at his head in favor of retaining a combat ready posture. Bulbasaur skidded to a stop, readying himself for more fighting.

"Stop it both of you!" Melanie shouted, stepping between the two males. "Brock! Bulbasaur! I expected better behavior from the both of you!"

"But Melanie-"

_Mela_nie-

"No excuses out of you Brock! And you know I can't understand any excuses from you Bulbasaur!"

"It's my fault," Misty interceded on behalf of the sufferers of Melanie's wrath, "we encountered him earlier, when he was defending an oddish. I thought we were going to have to fight him again so I tried to get my pokémon."

_What the hell are you all doing here! _Bulbasaur growled at the arrivals. _What business- oh it doesn't matter. None of you bastards can understand me anyway. At least that means I insult you and you won't even notice._

Ash's left eyebrow twitched.

"I see," Melanie responded, raising an eyebrow. "Well as long as it doesn't happen again."

_Melanie, why are they here? _Bulbasaur whined, trying to get his friend's attention.

"Bulbasaur, these fine folks are Brock, Misty, and Aaron. They fell into our bridge trap and Brock was washed downstream where he ran into me. Aaron and Misty were looking for him and fell into some of our other traps, so I brought them here to make sure they're all right."

Bulbasaur groaned.

_We're all going to die because of kindness. Shoulda known my life would end that way._

"As I was saying earlier," Melanie began, "I get a lot of help around here from someone else, and that someone is Bulbasaur. He helps out with the young pokémon and the abused. He even protects the village."

"Oh. And I take it you've got an oddish in residence?" Brock guessed.

"Oh yes. A young wild oddish is in residence," Melanie replied.

_At least you're not planning on telling them the whole truth, _Bulbasaur grumbled. _Bad enough that they're here when we're having trouble with those Rockets... and we're going to have to keep them around long enough to see if they're rocket spies! That's why you invited them here, so I can kill them if they are! Very good Melanie!_

It took all of Ash's willpower not to make any sort of reaction to Bulbasaur's realization. It took more effort not to react to his own realization that a), that there were Rockets in the vicinity and b), Bulbasaur might be correct. Now how to warn Brock and Misty not to trust the food...

"Is it injured? Sick?" Brock asked their host. "I could assist in its treatment. I've got some medical training."

_How convenient,_ Bulbasaur muttered. _You just happen to show up with medical training to give us a hand. Do you really-_

_For Arceus sake, shut up!_ Pikachu shouted at the plant-type. _We're not Team Rocket spies! Brock's a former gym leader and Misty's part of the Cerulean City gym. But I might zap you if you keep this up!_

_Bring it rodent! _Bulbasaur growled. Pikachu jumped off of Ash's shoulder and faced off against the green pokémon. Sparks flew from his cheeks as they started to circle each other.

"Break it up you two!" Melanie and Ash shouted at the same time. The two pokémon shot one last glare at each other before walking back to their human companions.

"Sorry about that," Ash apologized, "I don't know what's gotten into him."

_You heard what he was saying!_

_Idiot he can't understand us!_

Pikachu stuck his tongue out at Bulbasaur.

"It's alright. I don't think Bulbasaur likes you very much."

_You don't say, _the plant type commented.

"Anyway, what are you three doing in this area?"

"We're on our way to Vermilion City," Brock replied.

"But we're lost because someone decided to take a short cut," Misty cut in, glaring at Brock.

"If I recall correctly-" the former gym leader began, but was cut off by Aaron/Ash.

"Not now. I want to see the pokémon." Ash said, exasperated by the antics of those who were supposed to be more mature than himself.

"Why don't you take a look around outside while Brock and I tend to the injured and sick pokémon," Melanie suggested. "Misty, what you want to do?"

"I'll go with you two. I've got a little bit of training too, so I can lend a hand."

"Very well. Bulbasaur, would you please show Aaron around? And no fighting."

_Fine, _Bulbasaur replied sulkily.

The three older humans went into the medical building, leaving Ash and the pokémon alone outside.

_Oh great. Now I've got to deal with the potential spy and his potential lying pokémon, _Bulbasaur muttered, rolling his eyes. He turned around and started walking towards the nearest pool.

_Who you calling a spy!_

_I'm calling the stupid human a spy! Wanting to see the pokémon indeed. He just wants to see if the hatchlings are here, _Bulbasaur said heatedly.

_What hatchlings?_

_Didn't you're trainer tell you rodent? Well too bad. Just know that when the time comes you'll be regretting your actions before I get my hands on you rodent!_

_Who you calling a rodent!_

_You! Stupid Pikachu! _Bulbasaur shouted, turning back to look at the human and the electric-type.

_Actually, I haven't said anything recently, _Pikachu said.

_Course you did. Who have I been talking to if not you!_

_Me, _Ash Ketchum said to grouchy green pokémon.

Bulbasaur was speechless for once.

* * *

><p>Each beat of his wings made the burning sensation worse. He didn't care. Each foot of altitude that he gained cost him greatly, the edges of his vision turning black. Every mile, every yard, every foot, every inch he flew was torture, like his life was bleeding out.<p>

Pidgey didn't care.

Safely clutched in his talons was Hoothoot. Her mother flew just below them. Further down was the forest that they had called home, a great expanse that looked like rough green carpeting spread all over the landscape, crawled with Rocket grunts and their pokémon. Pidgey had tried to spread word, tried to warn his friends and neighbors, his predators and his prey, but he couldn't tell if he had been successful. The only thing that mattered to him was getting his family to safety.

_Daddy, I'm cold. Can we please go lower? _Hoothoot spoke up, safely within his talons for now.

_No. I'm sorry. _Pidgey replied. They need the altitude to ensure that any Rocket atttacks couldn't reach them and to try and hide from the grunts below. If the criminals spotted them either their lives would be in grave danger or they would use the fugitives to locate the village. Neither option was acceptable.

_I don't see or hear anyone, _Hoothoot said from below the father and child. _But that's not right. Don't Pidgey, Pidgey, Spearow, Hoothoot, Beedrill, and Taillow usually stretch their wings together around now?_

They usually did, Pidgey realized. He hoped that they were just hiding or had already fled.

The direction they were fleeing led them out from under the edge of an overcast sky. The air was damp and cold. Occasional beads of icy water formed on the fleeing flying types Wisps of grey clouds passed around them as they flew. Before them they could see the sunlit lands and the promise of the safety of the hidden village. They couldn't see it from the air, it had been built in a location that made it impossible to spot from the sky. But the little family knew how to get there.

_Hoothoot, can you sense anyone? _Pidgey asked the mother of his child.

_No, but I might be too high up. I never spent much time honing my psychic talents._

_Not even Noctowl?_

_No, but he might be shielding himself._

Yes hopefully he was in hiding as well. Pidgey didn't want to consider the alternatives. Well, actually, the idea that he was fleeing was palpable...

The air around him began to grow warmer as the family neared the edge of the overcast region. Soon they would be able to see the little hollow in the green carpeting below that marked the site of the hidden village. Only a little farther.

_Hoothoot do you sense anything at all! _Pidgey cried out. They needed to know if any Rockets or their pokémon were observing them. Descending without knowing that would put both his family and the village at risk. He might as well slit their throats himself.

_I can't sense anything! Not even the background buzz. I think they put a blanket jamming technique over the whole area. No pokémon or human with psychic abilities would be able to sense anything unless they can pierce it._

_So there's no way of knowing if they're watching us. Then we can't go to the village, we'll lead them right to it._

_Not if they're watching someone else, _Hoothoot declared, her voice taking on a determined quality.

_Wait, what- No! _But Hoothoot ignored him and dove, forcing her round body into the most streamlined shape she could manage. Pidgey desperately tried to think of a way to stop her but between her own talents with telekinesis, no matter how meager, and their child in his talons, there was nothing that he could do.

_Mommy! What's mommy doing daddy?_

_Dive now, while they're focused on me! _Hoothoot's words were almost lost to the winds, but Pidgey still caught them. There was nothing he could do to stop her, but he could at least make sure the risk she was taking wasn't wasted. He also began to dive, a more gentle maneuver that Hoothoot's desperate descent in deference to the child he carried with him.

_Why aren't we going with mommy? _Little Hoothoot asked, her voice growing panicked. _Daddy?_

_Mommy's making sure the place we're going is safe. Don't worry, she'll be fine. _Pidgey reassured his daughter, his words feeling hollow and empty in his heart and the painfully cold and empty pit in the core of his body where fear dwelt.

* * *

><p>"Judging by the data we've gathered, from pokémon population densities, trap positioning, observed movements, and casualties, I would guess that the village is located in sector thirteen," said a green haired man in a black and white Rocket uniform, wearing headset, said. He was the leader of the Combat Team, John Baker. He was a former mercenary who fell in with Team Rocket in order to secure a long term position. He cared little for the ideals or actions of the organization, his only focus was on doing his job. "How confident are you?" A green haired man asked John. He was a tall man, his height making him seem slimmer than he actually was. He had brown eyes, and under the left one ran a wide and jagged scar. His name was Vincent Yamamoto and he was the leader of Operation: Secret Retrieval, the Rocket attempt to capture the pokémon of the breeder who had escaped their clutches earlier.<p>

He was a cold man, but an ambitious man. Vincent sought to unite the fractured and divided humanity inhabiting the world. To bring them together and stop the foolish wars and problems of incompetence that had plagued them for so long. The League had potential, in fact it had already taken the first steps down that path, but it was too slow. Vincent had considered various independent nations and kingdoms, but none of them had any aggressive agendas. That left Team Rocket.

So Vincent signed up with the team and swiftly climbed through the ranks. He was efficient, stern, and consistently made good calls, a trait that the higher ups liked. His combat proficiency with pokémon and without pokémon was extraordinary. He held himself to high standards and when he was given command, he held his underlings to standards just as high. If they failed to live up to the standards then Vincent would take what he felt to be appropriate disciplinary actions, up to and including killing them with his bare hands.

He cared little about how they treated pokémon, both Team Rocket and pokémon were tools to help him achieve his goals. But as he worked with the organization he began to share their views on the wretched beasts that inflicted the pain of their company upon humanity. For this reason he was dedicated to capturing the newborns and giving them over to the Rocket training and research divisions for a brutal upbringing or a life cut cruelly short, sacrificed so others could have knowledge.

"Confidence is sixty-seven percent," John replied. "Whomever's behind this has some idea about what they're doing."

"And their precise location?" Vincent asked the Combat Team leader.

"If I had to guess I would say right here," he said, pointing to a small area of land that the map said was a small hollow. "If I'm reading this right the geography would help to conceal it from aerial surveillance. Considering the competence they've displayed so far I feel that I would not be remiss in saying that they would've known the advantages and set up there."

"And because their greatest defense was the fact that their existence was secret they wouldn't care that anyone searching for them would recognize such a hiding spot. Yes it all fits."

"I could send a reconnaissance in force to confirm. Shall I give the orders?"

"No, I'll let Team C prove their worth. It'll be a daytime operation, I'll send them now. But start preparing your team. We don't know what defense they have, but your team will be the core of our offensive. And it wouldn't do to have them be unprepared, now would it?"

"No sir. I'll give the orders right away."

"Good. Report back when you're ready. And tell Team B to prepare the restraints."

"Yes sir."

* * *

><p><em>So you heard everything I said, <em>Bulbasaur groaned, rubbing his forehead with a vine.

_Yep, _Ash replied.

_Everything. Including the parts where I called you a spy or gave away critical information?_

_It's not like I can tell what information is critical or not without context, _Ash answered with a shrug.

_You're not making me feel any better, _Bulbasaur moaned. Pikachu patted his head reassuringly.

_At least now you know we aren't spies, _Ash told the plant-type.

_What makes you say that. You could still be spies, _Bulbasur's eyes narrowed.

_If I were working for Team Rocket I doubt they'd use me like this. They could just have me ask the wild pokémon, _Ash pointed out.

_True. But on the other hand sending you here might make us lower our guard-_

_Not a spy,_ Ash interrupted._ I was raised by a weedle. I really don't know all that much about the human world and all. But from what I've heard and seen Team Rocket doesn't seem attractive._

_Fine. But step out of line and I'll kill- _There was a brief flash of yellow light and a crackling sound as Pikachu let loose a small electric shock.

_Quit threatening my idiot,_ Pikachu told the shocked bulb bearing saurian._ Me and my comrades are the only ones allowed to do that._

_I probably should hit you back for that. I guess you get that one free._

_I should hope. You've been insulting us and threatening us this whole time, _Ash said, crossing his arms.

There was a small spot of silence.

_So I take it you want to meet the pokémon around here? _Bulbasuar offered.

_Yeah that would be cool! But can we see the hatchlings you were talking about earlier? I want to talk to some other kids first! _Ash answered, excited.

_Wait... but that doesn't... well maybe... what about... but then again... you know what, you're weird, _Bulbasaur said to the pokéraised child, shaking his head to shrug off the minor confusion spell. _I'm afraid I can't do that._

_Why not? _Ash asked.

_Because I don't think they'll react kindly to strangers, _Bulbasaur told him.

_Why?_

_Because the last strangers they met before us killed the breeder that was looking after them, kidnapped some of their brothers and sisters, killed their parents, and are currently hunting them. _

_What! Why? _

_Evidently Team Rocket found the abilities that the batch had valuable,_ Bulbasaur growled._ And they didn't want the breeder to give them to another batch that could be used against them. They would've gotten away with it all if the breeder didn't randomly wake up in the middle of the night and interfere. So they killed him, cut off his limbs, and were planning to do other things to him while his compound burned down. Bastards. At least they didn't think that the wild pokémon would help the hatchlings escape. They got them here. And then somehow Team Rocket tracked them this far._

_So that's why you're so uptight and mean, _Ash said, comprehension dawning on his face.

_Well that, and no offensive, but I really don't like trainers._

_Why not? _Pikachu piped up.

_Yeah! We're not bad, _Ash added.

_Bullshit!_ Bulbasaur spat. There's_ two types of trainers. Those like Melanie and those like Team Rocket. Those like Team Rocket see us as mindless beasts, dangerous tools. They use us, abuse us, and then throw us aside. Or they experiment on us and kill us for the smallest reasons. They hate us, harm us, and in the end they wouldn't be sad to see us all dead. And it's not limited to Team Rocket. You'll find scum like that everywhere, even in the League. And there's trainers like Melanie. They'll care for us. They'll help us grow stronger. They'll be our friends. They'll be our partners. We'll work together and make good memories with them. But do you know what eventually happens?_

_No,_ Ash replied hesitantly.

_Eventually they'll be betrayed by the first type and then they'll suffer a horrible fate. And their team will probably share it._

_Is that what happened to Melanie? _Ash asked, a little hesitant.

_Pretty much,_ Bulbasuar replied with a nod. _ She had a bit of information that was valuable to Team Rocket so they bought off one of her so called 'friends'. The guy betrayed her and the result was she was captured and her team was killed. When she wouldn't give up the information they tortured her. Burned her. And when the window of opportunity passed they threw her away and left her for dead. She gave up being a trainer after that. It would cause her too much pain. She disappeared from the human world and came here and started caring for pokémon that needed help. Soon she had to build buildings and stuff to care for them and then this place was founded._

_When did you meet her?_

_A couple of hungry pokémon were attempting to eat her patients. I drove them off, saw what she was doing her, liked it, and then stayed here to help out. Look kid, why don't you stay here as well. Give up on being a trainer._

_No!_ Ash replied forcefully_ It's been my dream since Poison Lance told me stories about him and Luke and all the things they did. They helped so many people and pokémon. I want to do the same!_

_Do that and you'll get hurt,_ Bulbasaur stated flatly._ And you'll get your team hurt. And because you're a good soul you'll end up doing something like this anyway. So skip the being a trainer part. Ain't it better just to take the gentle path if you're headed to same place anyway?_

_There are plenty of good trainers who didn't have that stuff happen to them! Lucas, the guy who trained Poison Lance, the weedle who raised me, he was fine!_

_How'd he go then?_

_Don't know,_ Ash admitted. Poison_ Lance never told me. But I know he wouldn't have been so accepting of my decision to be a trainer if something bad had happened to Lucas. He's a bit of a worrywart you see._

_He probably retired early, _Pikachu added.

_How much experience do you have with trainers anyway? _Ash asked.

_Enough, _Bulbasaur said.

_Did you ever work with one?_

_Not as part of their team. _

_Did you ever observe them? _Ash continued his questioning.

_Quite a bit. I was curious. And I saw all kinds, but in the end they all were scum or martyrs. I used to travel you see, region to region. I've been to Orre and Unova before heading over here to Kanto. I've seen a lot in my travels. Ever hear of 'shadow pokémon'?_

_Can't say that I have, _Ash replied.

_Trust me, you don't want to. Let the League scum and the Rocket scum kill each other and just stay here and help us._

_How bout no. I'm not going to end up like that, right guys? _White light flared as Ash released his pokémon.

_Please, we're not important enough to get hurt like that, _Pidgeotto declared hovering by Ash's shoulder.

_We can beat them if they mess with us, _Butterfree trilled defiantly.

_Ash isn't that much of an idiot, _Pikachu agreed.

_You three and your trainer think you can handle the world? I bet you three together couldn't even handle me!_

_Oh yeah! I could handle you alone! _Pikachu shouted walking up to Bulbasaur and glaring at him.

_Really electric-type? You think you can handle me._

_I always did like electrocuting plant-types. It's not easy, but its ever so satisfying._

_Bring it rodent, _Bulbasaur taunted, raising his vines.

_Gladly, _Pikachu replied, cheeks sparking.

_Break it up guys! Melanie asked us not to fight, remember? _Ash interrupted the two pokémon preparing for a showdown.

_Che. Fine. Your Pikachu just got out of an ass whupin._

_Oh wow, you honestly believe you wouldn't end up fried and twitching on the ground. Your level of denial is impressive._

_Drop it._

_Fine, _Pikachu grumbled, jumping back to his perch on Ash's shoulder.

_So, why don't you tell us a bit about the area._

_Fine, _Bulbasaur said. He began to tell them about the geography, the weather and the problems it gave them, about the history of the place, significant events, funny stories, and local wild pokémon gossip. Ash and his team chimed in at the appropriate times. There was an undercurrent of tension underneath the surface of civility that dominated the conversation, both sides unconsciously ready for combat at a moments notice.

This nearly led to an awkward moment when a pidgey dived out of the sky, carrying a tiny hoothoot.

* * *

><p>"Anybody got a zubat on them?" The Team C leader asked the Rocket members accompanying him on the scouting trip. Working during the day was a departure from the previous operational guidelines of the operation. Even with the partially overcast sky he was still nervous. They really had no way to explain their presence in the area in such numbers to any passing League forces, so they hadn't bothered bringing disguises. And as for the village they were searching for... well it would be hard to believe that the entity that had inflicted such casualties on them so far would fall for their disguises. Or even care about killing civilians. A very Rocket like doctrine the leader reflected.<p>

"I got one chief," a Grunt replied, holding up a pokéball.

"Is it completely obedient? And map trained?"

"Yessir!"

"Have it discreetly scout the area ahead, passively searching for sonic emissions that would indicate the presence of the target."

"Yessir! Go Batty!" The Grunt shouted, calling out his zubat. The leader gave him a level look. It must have been a personally caught and raised pokémon, there would be no other reason for the nickname. He would have to have a talk with the Grunt later. They weren't supposed to get attached to the pokémon under their command.

The zubat took off further into the forest, moving quietly. It had none of the marks on its body associated with being trained by Team Rocket. Batty's trainer was obviously attached. Corrective action would have to be taken after the operation.

While they were waiting for the zubat to return the Rockets watched the sky to stave off boredom. They saw a dot drop from the sky that was probably a pokémon, but seeing as it landed where they knew the village was not, they simply ignored it. After that they quit watching the sky.

They waited for a couple hours before Batty returned with some news.

* * *

><p><em>Crap! <em>The pidgey exclaimed, wings flapping wildly.

_An attack!_

_Wait don't! There's a child on board! _Ash called out.

_On board what? It's a freakin pidgey not an airplane idiot, _Pikachu pointed out.

_Either way don't attack. And- Ow!_

_Sorry 'bout that, _apologized Pidgey from one Ash's head. _It's hard to steer sometimes while carrying the kid._

_Who are you? _Hoothoot asked. _Where's mommy? Why is the world spinning? Why is a human talking right?_

_I'm Ash Ketchum, _Ash replied, gently taking the baby pokémon off of his head. _Did you come here looking for your mommy?_

_No. We were flying here and then she said something about them watching something else and dove and then we dove somewhere else... where's mommy!_

_What's going on here? _Bulbasaur demanded.

_You haven't heard have you. _It was a statement from Pidgey, not a question.

_Heard what? _Bulbasur asked intently, gaze going hard.

_About what Team Rocket's been doing to the wild pokémon. They've been killing us and you haven't heard... right, because they didn't want to betray the location of the village... fuck..._

_They've been doing what! _Bulbasaur yelled. _Those utter bastards. I'll suck the life out of them until there's only a drop left and then make them beg me to kill them!_

_We've got to get as many pokémon here as we can, _Ash said, his mind already thinking of ways to gather as much of the wild pokémon population as they could.

_That will lead Team Rocket right to us, _Bulbasaur protested, _and it will put to many of them in the crossfire. We need to get them out of the area-_

_But Team Rocket is going to find this place anyway and they might be able to help defend it, _Pikachu interjected. _Besides many of them will have children, like Pidgey does, and that will make evacuation nearly impossible. Parents can't abandon their children or the eggs. Team Rocket will steal them or kill them._

_They won't be able to stand up to the Rocket pokémon, none of them are strong enough, _Bulbasaur rebutted. _But you're right, with the systematic elimination of the wild pokémon we've lost our early warning system and I won't be able to lead the Rockets away without them. Wait, why am I talking here with you lot. We've got to go inform Melanie! Ash, you'll have to translate for me-_

_No can do, _Ash replied instantly, shakinghis head.

_Why not? It would-_

_You keep the village a secret from humans and I keep my ability to talk to pokémon and my identity a secret from humans._

_Fair enough. I can communicate something like this without help, it's just cumbersome._

_What are we waiting for then,_ Pikachu interrupted. _Let's go warn everybody already._

* * *

><p>"Just a bit longer, okay Poocheyna?" Melanie asked sweetly as she and her two helpers from the League finished changing the bandages and applying more disinfectants to the cuts.<p>

"I have to say, these treatments look really well done. Are you a certified pokémon doctor?" Brock asked the pretty blue haired girl.

"Nothing quite so grand," Melanie replied. "I took some courses, true, but most of it is simply field experience. I can't do much against the more exotic ailments. Most of the time I can only make them comfortable."

"It's better than nothing," Misty replied, stroking Poocheyna's head as she carefully cleaned a cut.

"I wish I could-" but Melanie was interrupted by a crashing sound near her front door.

"Bulb. Bu bulba bul. Saur bul bluba." An angry voiced sounded out from by the door followed by creaking and the sound of footsteps.

"You could've let me open the door first," they heard Aaron say.

"Bulba."

"That didn't sound very nice," Melanie called out to the other group by the entryway. "What's the matter?"

"A pidgey carrying a hoothoot hit me and then they and Bulbasaur started to make a big fuss and so we all went back in," Ash explained as they entered the room where Melanie and the gym members were.

"Are they hurt? Brock, Misty, you finish up Poochyena. I'm going to need to-"

"Bul," Bulbasaur interrupted, shaking his head.

"If they aren't hurt why did you rush in here? Did they bring new?"

"Bulb," Bulbasaur replied, nodding.

"Brock, Misty, Aaron. Can I please ask you to step outside for a moment?"

"Bulbasaur," the plant-type interjected, shaking his head.

"You want them to stay?" Melanie asked puzzled. That was very out of character for Bulbasaur, who nodded his assent.

"Alright then. May I request that you three stay quiet while I talk with Bulbasaur, no matter what you may hear?"

"Sure," Aaron replied. Brock and Misty shot him a nasty look for speaking for all of them in such a manner, but the boy didn't notice.

"Did they bring good new?"

A shake.

"Bad new then."

A nod.

"Does it have to do with our uninvited guests?"

A nod. She was afraid of that.

"Are they after this pidgey and its child?"

A hesitant nod.

"They are, but there's more to it?"

A firmer nod.

"Do they want to capture them?"

A shake. What else could Team Rocket... oh.

"They're trying to kill them?"

A nod.

"And others?"

Another nod.

"The ones who spotted the guests?"

A shake.

"All of the wild pokémon?" Melanie almost shouted.

A nod. One nod to communicate the bloodshed, the heartache, the despair, and the evil going on outside their village. So simple a thing, but just enough to shatter Melanie's newly repaired heart.

"No." She gasped. It wasn't a denial. It wasn't a plea to higher powers. It was a demand, a desperate order to reality itself. She fell to her knees.

"H-h-h-how many escaped?"

Bulbasaur shrugged.

"Are they coming here?"

Another shrug.

"Does Team Rocket know that we're here yet?" Brock and Misty yelped, but curiously Aaron stayed silent.

A shake. There was that at least- and then a nod.

"They'll know soon," she didn't know how Bulbasaur knew that, but it was easy to guess. Without the wild pokémon population to act as a warning system the Rockets would be able to move through the forests without the village having any clue of their whereabouts. They would be at the village within days.

"So Team Rocket's after the newly hatched here?" Brock asked. Everybody turned to look at him. He shrugged and explained. "They're obviously very young, and exhibit all the physical and behavioral signs of being newly hatched. From what I've seen of them they all seem unusually strong but are very skittish around strangers. And now that I know this place is being targeted by Team Rocket its easy to guess that these are the pokémon that Barry Vaxsh breed before he was murdered."

Everybody continued to stare at him.

"What, did you think I was an idiot?"

Misty nodded, smirking.

"Oh shut up."

"Well what are we going to do?" Aaron asked.

"Pika?"

"Bul bulbasaur."

"I-I-I don't know," Melanie admitted. "I never thought- there's nothing- and the wild pokémon..."

"Aaron we're going to need to borrow Pidgeotto for a bit," Brock told the boy from Pallet Town. "We'll send a message to the nearest pokémon center requesting for League support. There might be a ranger group or something around here. Secondly, if they're killing wild pokémon to stop them from warning us about their scouts we're going to need to stop them right away. Since they'll find this place soon we might as well let them know where we are. They'll quit killing pokémon in favor of heading this way."

"Huh?" Melanie squeaked out, looking confused.

"Do you have any maps of the area? We'll need to set up a-"

"Hold on an Arceus dammed minute!" the blue haired girl shouted. "Who do you think you are? Team Rocket will be attacking this place soon. A bunch of dangerous criminals are coming here to kill everyone. This isn't a game! Don't you understand!

"Ma'am, Misty and I are both part of the League-"

"Fuck the League!" Melanie nearly screamed, getting worked up into a frenzy. Her breathing became frantic and her eyes became like a wounded, cornered animal.

"You trying to impress me," she half accused, pointing at Brock. "You thinking, 'oh I'll just fight off a couple thugs and then I'll totally get laid? Well fuck you and yours. You'd get a couple of kids killed just to impress a woman you just met."

"Ma'am, he's not lying," Misty interjected. "We really are with the League."

"And just how does that make things any better!" Melanie screamed. She was waving her arms wildly now. Memories, like magpies swarming a hawk, kept assaulting her mind, brutally battering her psyche. The horrible grins, the fire, the sizzling, and _him, _that two faced bastard.

"You kids playing at being cops or soldiers or whatever! Do you really think that being part of the League means shit? Do you think it will make a difference to Team Rocket? It didn't for me!" Melanie screamed at Misty, advancing quickly on the red head who was losing her nerve in the face of the unstable blue haired girl.

"There's a reason I never requested help from the League or told them about the hatchlings. Somebody along the line would sell them out for a few pieces of currency. And the moment someone with money or power wanting something from the village, the League would bend over backwards to help them get it."

She vaguely took notice of Aaron who was watching her with wide scared eyes, trembling like he had never seen an adult angry before. Tch. Lucky kid. He should count himself fortunate that his parents never fought in front of him. Bulbasaur was watching with a concerned expression. She knew that the loyal plant-type had been aware of her problems, but had never seen them displayed so openly before.

"You. Pervert." Melanie gritted out, indicating Brock. She began to fiddle with the bandages on her left side. "You want to get laid? You want to charm your way into my pants? You're willing to get your friends killed just for a lay? Well, then kiss my hand" While she was talking she tore off the medical tape in one frantic motion.

Aaron gasped at what lay beneath.

Her flesh was red and black, bits of crinkled flesh everywhere. It glistened with an awful wetness at the same time, a testament to the fact that human skin wasn't supposed to be that way.

Did it hurt? Did the burns still torment her to this day? If so why had she kept the arm?

Melanie then jerked off her glove. Her hand was in a state similar to that of her arm, cracked black and red flesh. It was a marvel that she could still move it.

Stupid kids. Stupid pervert. They had no clue what was going on. No clue what could happen. They would all die, and it probably wouldn't be a clean death for any of them. The pervert and the kid would die the cleanest death out of them all, but even they would scream for hours. Actually she and Misty might not die, despite how pleasant it would be compared to the alternative.

"Well? Still want to get in my pants pervert? Still think getting your friends killed-"

Without pause or hesitation, with nothing but the utmost respect on his face, Brock took her hand gently and placed a chaste kiss on it.

"Miss, I apologize for giving the wrong impression. I am attempting to do my duty here as a member of the Kanto League. I am most sorry for giving one such as yourself, who has endured great suffering and yet still carried on, such impressions." Brock said, kneeling.

"What-" Melanie gaped. Her painful memories still continued to assault her and once more she heard the taunts from long ago. The two faced bastard had claimed that he would be the only one who could ever face her naked form without revulsion again, about how no other man would be able to stand the sight of her, about how it was all her fault for not loving him like he loved her... Arceus, how could she have ever been friends with that psychopath?

She tried to ignore it, the wild ramblings of the monster who had gotten her team killed. But still the burns remained, the scars never faded, and she never could forget that night. She had tried to move on, had moved on, but still he haunted her. They still haunted her. Even now Team Rocket moved to destroy her life and the lives of those she cared about once more, and again she was helpless to stop it.

But what was this. People offering to save her?

No. The nightmare would repeat itself but this time more would die.

"You can't," she whispered in a hollow voice. "You'll all die."

"I am Brock, former leader of the Pewter City gym." Melanie's eyes widened. A gym leader? But he was so young. "We specialized in defense and endurance at my gym. I also have had to lead several operations against criminal elements such as Team Rocket before. Misty is an experienced trainer from the Cerulean City gym and has been travelling the world. She will be able to hold her own. And Aaron here has a Pidgeotto and is probably a better navigator than Misty or I. He can fetch our reinforcements."

"I can fight!" Ash Ketchum who was called Aaron Autumns protested.

"We'll discuss this later," Brock said shooting the younger boy a dark look. "As I was saying, we can drive the Rockets back and hold here until we get League reinforcements."

"And then they'll take the hatchlings," Melanie said softly.

"Maybe. It depends on if Vaxsh's family wants to care for them or not. There's a good chance you'll get to keep them. But first we need to stop Team Rocket."

"Do you have a map or something? We could use it to figure out Team Rocket's most likely plan of attack. Oh! Aaron, is Pidgeotto mapped trained?"

"Yeah," Ash replied. It was easy to map train a flying type when you could understand their questions.

"Do you have a map that shows the location of the nearest pokémon center?" Misty went on.

"Y-yes," Melanie replied, still shaken from both her earlier loss of control and the sudden one-eighty that the conversation had taken.

"Good thinking Misty," Brock commented, "do you have copies? We'll need to send Aaron off with a copy-"

"What do you mean by that," interrupted the Ketchum boy.

"We'll. Talk. About. It. Later." Brock gritted out.

"I think I do," Melanie said slowly and hesitantly. "I need to go take a look."

"I'll help," Misty offered.

"Thank you. They're this way." Melanie said, indicating the stairs down the hall. The two girls left, leaving Aaron and Brock alone in the room with Pikachu, Poocheyna, and Bulbasaur.

_Kid, I think you should listen to whatever the gym leader's got to say, _Bulbasaur told Ash.

_Can I go now? _Poocheyna asked, yawning. _I fell asleep for a bit._

_Yeah, go get ready for bed._

_Screw running to the nearest pokémon center! I want to fight! _Pikachu declared.

"Aaron, I know you can handle yourself," Brock began, "but this is an entirely different situation. This sort of situation calls for people who've gone through the training to handle it."

"Hey, I almost beat you," Aaron protested.

Brock raised an eyebrow.

"Well, I did."

"I use rock type pokémon. One small, and one real big pokémon made out of solid stone. If I were to fight all out with them, what do you think the fatality rate would be among inexperienced trainers?"

_That onix would kill a whole lot of pokémon, _Pikachu commented, looking slightly paler than usual at the thought.

"Fine, " Aaron said, crossing his arms. "But I'm gong to fight. You guys need my help."

"You want to help? Really?" Brock replied, speaking in a harsh tone. "How do you think it would work?"

"We ambush them somewhere, beat them up, and then time them up," Aaron/Ash replied.

"Well that's not at all how the fight will go," Brock snapped. "Are you willing to kill pokémon who have done nothing wrong? Pokémon who've been abused their whole lives? Are you willing to kill them to stop Team Rocket? Because there's no other way to stop their attacks. And what about the humans themselves? Are you willing to kill men and women?"

Kill? Part of the reason he had left the forest was to go to a world where that wasn't necessarily the only solution. The human world was supposed to be more removed from any calculus of survival that would necessitate that Ash need to kill, like when his hungry friend Ekans had killed and eaten Pichu.

"What?"

"You heard me. Are. You. Willing. To. Kill. Because that's what the fight is going to be like. Unless there's a small number of them we'll have to kill a bunch, but Rockets don't usually operate out in the wild in small numbers. And a small group couldn't go around killing all the wild pokémon."

Kill...

No, there had to be a different solution. Killing might sometimes be a necessary solution for some beings and some problems, but not for Ash.

Ash Ketchum was just getting to know the world. He wasn't about to start taking people and pokémon out of it.

Screams. Dark shapes descending on the women. The sound of flesh tearing.

He shook the memories out of his head.

"Then there are other ways I can help," Ash said, trying a different approach. "I can run messages, or help build the defenses, or something like that." He left it unsaid that he might try to take some enemies out in a non-lethal manner.

"And when the attack comes what will you do?"

"I'll go hide. I'm good at hiding in the wilderness." He had years of practice, thanks to the insistence of Poison Lance who didn't want to be blindsided by a group of hikers or the like.

"Hide from Team Rocket tracers?" Brock asked with a raised eyebrow.

Actually, those were the people Poison Lance had wanted him to be able to hide from.

"Yep."

"Bullshit," Brock responded flatly. "It doesn't matter. You're a ten year old trainer-"

Was he ten, or was he eleven? Ash didn't remember where his birthday fell anymore. Or how old he had been when Poison Lance had taken him in. He and the old weedle had to put their heads together on occasion to figure out when he would be old enough to do certain things.

"- and as a gym leader, I cannot in good conscience let you be anywhere near the battle. You're going to the nearest pokémon center, and that's final. Am I clear?"

Aaron glared sullenly at Brock for a moment.

"Am I clear!" the former gym leader yelled at the newbie pokémon trainers.

"... Yes."

"Good. Now lets go find the women and see if they have that map yet."

* * *

><p>Aaron left without protesting anymore with a copy of map of the area and instructions to send Pidgeotto with a message for help before setting out back the way they came in. It would still be secure. The village had received several more refugees and they had all come from the opposite direction.<p>

Brock, Misty, Melanie and Bulbasaur all gathered around the map.

"Bulbasaur, do you know how to read a map?"

The green pokémon nodded.

"Can you mark where you've encountered the Rocket's before?"

Bulbasaur nodded and let out his vines. He picked up a pen, displaying great skill and dexterity with his vines, and then marked the locations with Xs.

"Can you also mark where the wild pokémon have seen groups of Rockets?"

Bulbasaur's face became a mask of concentration and then he hesitantly added a few Os to the map. The plant-animal hybrid then shrugged. The wild pokémon weren't in the most communicative mood.

"Alright," Brock began, looking at the map. "You picked a spot that was lower than the surrounding area so we don't want to try and fight them all at the village proper. Luckily you also picked a spot surrounded by rough terrain, so that limits the routes they can take to get here. Did you do that on purpose?"

"Well, the village's main defense was supposed to be secrecy," Melanie answered, "so I wanted a place that would be hard to spot from the air. But I also wanted to be sure that random hikers wouldn't stumble over it, so yes the terrain was a consideration."

"Well it works brilliantly in our favor," Brock said happily. "Since we know which direction they're coming from, we can tell which routes they're most likely to take. Standard Team Rocket operating doctrine in potentially hostile wild territory is to travel in several small groups down the route so that a single surprise assault won't wipe them all out. It also means that they usually take several different routes to arrive at the site of a tactical operation such as this one. But considering how important this is, they'll probably have a combat team involved. They'll be the main attack force and they'll probably need to take the easiest terrain to maximize their speed advantage. The team will want to overrun us while we're dealing with smaller groups of Grunts. Of course this is all still conjecture based on standard Team Rocket operating doctrine. I've got know idea what sort of units they have or their numbers. This is going to be difficult..."

Brock paused for a moment, studying the map.

"Alright, we know nothing about them. But they don't know anything about us. We just arrived and the only pokémon they could've seen is Pikachu. So..."

"So what?" Misty asked. Brock's earlier pondering had reminded her of her sisters when they were planning a League operation. Gym leaders were required to undergo leadership training as part of the qualification process, and then demonstrate it.

Against the Elite Four.

The objective? Well nobody really was allowed to talk about it, but most rumors indicated that it was one word. Survive.

Misty shuddered. Her sisters had gone up against Lorelei. Even with the type advantage they and the trainers they had been leading had been soundly thrashed. Cerulean's Sensational Sisters still had trouble talking about the experience to this day. Which was part of the reason why Misty was a huge fan of Lorelei.

"Here's what we'll do," Brock decide. "Rough terrain doesn't matter to me and my pokémon. We'll be the vanguard and attack them before they get here. They won't be expecting an onix out here. Onix will be with me for the initial attack on the combat team, who should probably come in through this gully here." Brock indicated the spot on the map. "After that he will move from Rocket group to group and wipe out the Grunts. Me and Geodue will finish up the combat team. If we move fast enough we can finish them off before the leaders get there. After that we'll hold off the leaders-"

"Why would the leaders be stronger than the combat team?" Melanie asked. Despite her... encounter with Team Rocket she knew very little about the organization.

"The leaders receive better training then their underlings," Misty explained. "Team Rocket doesn't have a lot of resources with which to train their members, so they only us them on members who have proven themselves. My question is, I thought you didn't know if there was going to be a combat team. Why are you basing your plans about there being one?"

"I'm not," answered the dark skinned boy. "As I said, rough terrain doesn't matter to me or my pokémon. I'm just going to intercept any Rocket groups and kill them. And I wasn't done explaining the plan yet. Misty, you and Bulbasaur are going to stay by the village proper to deal with anyone I miss. You'll need to stop any Rockets from getting to the hatchlings. Just one could steal a lot of them. Melanie, what combat training do you have?"

"I used to be an archer," the blue haired girl admitted, "but that was a while ago."

"That's okay. You can wait inside. Get the hatchlings together and hold the door. Do you still have your bow and arrows?" Melanie nodded. "Pick off any Rocket that gets past Misty and Bulbasaur. Finally, we need a scout to warn us of when the attack's starting. We'll need to ask that pidgey, after we explain the risks. And set up a check in time. If he doesn't return by that time, we'll assume he's dead and the Rockets are attacking."

"That's a bit cold blooded," Melanie commented, paling.

"Not nearly as much as letting a bunch of newborns be stolen," Brock replied. "Any questions?"

Bulbasaur and the humans shook their heads.

"Good. Let's get ready to make the Rocket's regret coming here."

* * *

><p>AN: Reviews would be appreciated. As would money and motivation.<p>

Thanks to to Selm for beta reading.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I do not own pokémon.

* * *

><p>What was he doing?<p>

Ash Ketchum was fleeing to the nearest pokémon center and away from the battle that was going to start behind him. Just as Brock had ordered.

But it wasn't right.

There were people and pokémon back there that needed his help. So what if it was dangerous? Life was dangerous. Living practically guaranteed that you were going to die eventually.

But... what could he do? The human boy slammed his fist into a tree. What could he do to help in a bloody conflict?

What could he do?

* * *

><p>Misty sat on the ground, digging around in her backpack for her compression units. Built using the same principles that pokéballs used, compression units stored moderate quantities of matter in capsules. It was a must have for anybody on a long term trip.<p>

Come to think of it, she hadn't seen Aaron use any of these...

How did he fit all his stuff in his backpack? Was he some sort of master folder?

She located the capsule she was looking for and placed it on the ground next to her along with several others she had dug out.

Misty took a breath and then opened one at random. With a flash of light a black, thin, long sleeved chainmail mesh shirt, made from the lightest and most durable alloys known to modern man, materialized on the ground. It would protect her from slashes and thanks to micro-link construction it would help defend against most stabbing attacks as well.

The armor was hideously expensive but her sister insisted that she had gear that was on the cutting edge of science and of the highest quality. Technically this sort of thing was favoritism, none of the other Cerulean trainers got anything like this, but no one had ever wanted to complain. Or to quit sending the Sensational Sister articles about the latest body armors, making sure Misty always packed protective equipment, secretly following her, volunteering to handle the more dangerous gym tasks that she would have been assigned, or constantly checking her temperature to make sure she was alright.

Sometimes it sucked growing up as a gym brat.

But tonight, with the battle looming in the future, she couldn't complain.

Her mail shirt didn't jingle as she slipped it on, the rings were too small. Even with this armor she couldn't get overconfident. It would prevent slashing damage but it would do jack and shit against kinetic energy. Blows from swords and axes could still break bones, cause internal damage, and knock her about.

That was okay. Her hand to hand training had placed an emphasis dodging and flowing around attacks. Stereotypical for a water-type gym, true, but it worked.

Misty opened up more capsules, revealing more armor. Chainmail leggings, gloves, a black helmet (that looked hideous on her, but sometimes one had to sacrifice beauty for not having one's brains splattered all over), and finally a lightweight bulletproof vest. The vest wouldn't stop heavy caliber fire or automatic weapons, but guns and bullets were extremely scarce after the war. Guns were rarely used these days and most of them were loaded with home forged bullets. The vest would easily protect her against those.

She finished putting on all of her armor as the sky lost the last traces of orange and became a study of all the shades between grey blue and black. Shadows, cast by trees and the village buildings, all began to merge as twilight died. The air gained the slightest chilling touch as Misty stood up and gave her gear one final check.

Then she picked up her trench knives.

Trench knives came in many different designs. Misty's had slightly exaggerated brass knuckles and a curved blade. Hers were designed so that she could easily switch from beating her opponents up to cutting them down. The draw back was that her knives lacked the stabbing power of other knife designs.

She had chosen these weapons because they fit well with her style. Plus she could easily switch between fatal and non-fatal attacks with her set of trench knives. It was the same reason Daisy used nunchucks.

Misty's knives had never been stained with any being's life blood before. All the battles she had participated in so far were either battles between League trainers or in gym raids against small groups of weak criminals where the goal was to capture them for arrest and interrogation.

"You going to be okay?" Brock's voice spoke out from the doorway to the cabin. Misty turned to look at him.

As expected of a gym that specialized in rock-type pokémon, Brock was wearing heavier armor. He was clad in a rather heavy looking body suit that was covered in metal plates that wrapped around his body. Misty was willing to bet that under the plates there were layers of kevlar, ceramic strike plates, more plate metal, and padding. And he had probably trained his body so that he was able to take hits without complaint. Unless one had heavy weaponry handy it would be hard to take him down. It would probably be easiest to have a pokémon do it, but he'd be covered by his own highly trained pokémon.

He carried a large and rather wicked looking spiked mace. Misty thought that it looked far to heavy for Brock to handle it in as casual manner as he did.

"You going to be okay?" Repeated the former gym leader. "As a junior member of your gym, I can't imagine you would have experienced any fights like the one coming up."

"I'll be fine," Misty replied. "Or, at least I hope I will."

"You've gone through the psych stuff, right?"

"Yeah. I've been given the psychological counseling from the League as part of the certification process for becoming a gym trainer."

"Alright. Have you killed before?" Brock asked the red head bluntly.

"No," Misty replied, taking a deep breath. "But I've got the training to."

"Misty," the boy from Pewter City put his hand on her shoulder. "Can you do this? If you can't, that's okay. I'll just make a new plan-"

"I won't fall apart on you," Misty reassured the former gym leader. "At least not until after the battle. And you don't have the resources to make a new plan that could work. I've got the hand to hand training, I've trained my pokémon to do both lethal and non lethal versions of their attacks, and I'm sure not going to die because I start blubbering in the middle of a fight. I'll save it til after the fight."

"Alright. Then the only other thing I have to say is, don't die on me. I don't want to explain to Aaron how I ruined his handiwork."

"Don't want him getting pissed that you ruined his save?" Misty teased. "Oh, right. I'll have to try and pull myself together before we see him again," she continued in a more somber tone. "And we'll have to clean the blood off."

"That seems like a good idea," Brock responded. "He didn't blink at all when I talked about the danger that he would be in, but when I mentioned the idea of him killing, he went kind of weird. Just rejected the whole idea."

"He's a kid," Misty commented, toying with her knives.

"You're what, one or two years older than him?" Brock retorted, smirking.

"Depends on his birthday. But I'm a gym brat. I grew up with this sort of thing. He didn't."

"I know what you're thinking," Brock said. "We should probably try to keep as much of this sort of incident from him. Preserve his innocence. And you're right. That's what the League is for. To keep people like him and the citizens of Cerulean City safe. And to eliminate this sort of thing."

"Too bad we weren't there for Melanie," Misty said wistfully.

"We can't be everywhere," sighed the dark skinned boy. "But I really wish I could do something about that..."

"Travel back in time, beat up the bad guys, save her and her team, sweep her off her feet and ride off into the sunset?" Misty teased, a mischievous smile lighting up her face.

"You..." Brock growled, starting to blush.

"End up on a cliff by the sea, hold her close, gaze into her eyes, and then seal the deal with a kiss," Misty continued. "Maybe get married- Owwccch," she complained as Brock pinched and pulled her cheek.

"Be quiet," the blushing boy commanded. They sat in silence for a moment.

"Anyway, riding off into the sunset is the Wandering Ranger's thing," Brock commented, sheepishly.

"Yeah, but he wouldn't beat up the bad guys," Misty replied, snickering. "He'd just let them know he's there and they'd give up."

"Or he'd kill them all before they knew he was there," Brock said, "he doesn't really have a middle ground, does he?"

"Wish he was here. That would solve all of our problems."

"We wouldn't have any problems. He'd of killed them all by now."

"As long as we're wishing for the impossible, I'd like the Elite Four here as well."

"The Elite Four, all gathered together in a place that's not Indigo Plateau? Yeah, that'd solve our Rocket problem, but then we'd have to deal with the ghost problem, ice problem, and dragon problem."

"Oh, that's mostly exaggeration. They only wreck the landscape if they have to go all out. They know how to hold back."

"Heh. Poor Bruno. Nobody worries about him wrecking the landscape."

"And that's why he's the most dangerous of them all. He's harder to spot. But it doesn't matter," Misty finished with a sigh. "They're not here."

"You're right. We are. And we're going to kick Team Rocket's ass's so hard that they'll wish it had been the Elite Four here," Brock declared.

"Suuurreee..."

"Oh ye of little faith."

* * *

><p>Melanie took a deep breath as she took out her old archery gear, kneeling by a chest in a dark room only illuminated by the light from the hallway. The chest pad, the arm pad, the bow itself, and the arrows. Her arrows were fletched so that the arrow was fired with the arrowhead parallel to the ground, to better fit between human ribs. She used a longbow, even though a recurve or any sort of more compact bow would have been more sensible. But her father had taught her how to use this bow.<p>

She idly wondered how he was doing.

It had been a long time since she had used the bow. She had refrained from hunting during the days before she had started the village, when she had been aimlessly wandering the forest, a walking shell of a being consumed by grief. She had paid no mind to the hunger consuming her. She had paid no mind to anything until she had come across a wounded pokémon.

Melanie had treated it and then collapsed. The pokémon had watched over her while she was out and gathered some food for her. When she awoke, it was to the pokémon's worried gaze and a pile of edible plants.

Not long after that Melanie founded the village.

"Bulbasaur?" A gruff voice broke the silence and she turned to look at the plant-type standing in the doorway. His head was tilted and he looked on her with an expression of confusion and sorrow.

"What is it? Do you think Brock's plan won't work?"

A shake of the head.

"Are you worried that some Rockets will get to the hatchlings?"

Another shake.

"Are you worried that Brock, Misty, or their pokémon will be hurt? Well, their pokémon, I get that you don't really like them yet."

Once more Bulbasaur shook his head.

"Are you worried that I'll be hurt? I've got the safest position out of all of us. I should be fine, especially with you and Misty out there protecting us."

She didn't bother asking if he was worried that he would get hurt. She already knew that he didn't care what happened to him if he could protect everyone. It was both inspiring and sorrowful. Inspiring for the obvious reasons, and sorrowful in that living was not one of his top priorities.

Melanie had never given up. Even after her team was killed and she was disfigured she had kept going. Her village was proof of this. Whenever she wavered, whenever she had started to ponder about dying, she asked herself a question.

What could the dead do?

Sacrificing one's self should be the very last resort, Melanie thought. The action that should be undertaken only if it was the single way to achieve all of one's important goals. Some would claim that Melanie's way of thinking was cowardly and that those that followed it would get their comrades killed rather than sacrifice themselves, but Melanie could easily retort that saving one's comrades was always one of anyone's important goals.

But Bulbasaur didn't think like her. He would be content to die in a battle such as the upcoming one, no matter the other options. In Melanie's eyes this was wrong. She had to do something to correct this while she still could.

During their time together, Melanie had been able to piece together some information about Bulbasaur's life before the village. She knew that he had traveled a lot, through Orre if she guessed correctly, and hadn't been impressed by what he had seen. There had been other things that were harder to put together, but it took no effort to see that Bulbasaur hadn't had an easy life. His scars alone said that much.

Bulbasaur needed companionship from people who were younger and more full of life. Someone who would have a normal life. Someone who would be travelling the world. A trainer who wouldn't have to deal with incidents like the village all the time.

Somebody like Aaron Autumns. An ordinary boy, with an ordinary past, with two gym leaders to protect him and who could deal with any incidents like the current one without getting him involved. It would do Bulbasaur good to go with him. Melanie would have to find some way to make it happen.

But she realized that her thoughts had wandered and she needed to find out what was bothering the plant pokémon.

"Well, are you worried that I'll get hurt?" She repeated her earlier question.

Bulbasaur hesitantly wiggled his head. She was close, but that wasn't exactly it.

"Well, what's the matter then?"

Bulbasaur gently reached out with a vine and brushed the leafy end against her gloved hand. Melanie could see the sorrow in his eyes as he looked at her hand and then at her weapon.

Ah, so that was it.

"You didn't want me getting involved with the darker side of life again," the pretty blue haired girl stated. "Or the hatchlings."

Bulbasaur nodded. Melanie was sure that if he wasn't so... stoic- no that wasn't the word... gruff- again not it... weathered was the word that fit best, that he'd be shedding tears.

"It's alright Bulbasaur. You'll protect us from the worse of it. Besides, I'll be killing Rockets. It would be hypocritical for you to object to that." Melanie gave a mischievous smirk.

Bulbasaur snorted.

"It'll be fine," reassured her guardian pokémon, drawing him into a tight hug.

"It'll be fine," Melanie repeated. If there had been more light in the room an observer would have been able to see the tears starting to leak from her eyes.

* * *

><p>"Alright, the village is located here," Vincent Yamamoto, the leader of the Team Rocket operation said, pointing to spot on the map. John Baker, the combat team leader, looked the map over from the other side of the rock it had been placed on.<p>

"We know they don't have the strength to stand against us openly," Baker stated, "or they'd have behaved differently."

"True. So unless a gym leader has suddenly stumbled into the village, they don't have the power to launch a counter attack. Which means that we should follow standard Rocket operation doctrine. Split the teams into squads and have them approach the area through multiple attack vectors. The defenders are probably going to fortify the area, but if we keep them distracted we can have the combat team take them by surprise. They should have pickets or scouts, inform the squads to let them escape. That way we can let them think that they know where we're coming from. After that we'll mobilize the combat team. We need them to move fast, so they'll need to take the easiest terrain... here, through this gully."

"It should work, given what we've seen of their strength," Baker agreed. "Unless they've got something up their sleeves. I suggest that you and I accompany the combat team to mitigate the effects of any surprises.'

"A sound idea,' Vincent replied. "But if they have explosives then that could end up taking us out as well. Let's trail different groups so we can still support them if we must, but we won't be caught up in any attacks."

"Yes sir!"

"Good. Give the orders. Prepare to move out! We'll be taking the hatchlings tonight!"

* * *

><p>Pidgey lurked within the forest, investigating different locations as night fell. He was supposed to be looking for signs of Team Rocket's movements, but he was distracted by his need to find Hoothoot. Hopefully she was in hiding until the Rockets were gone.<p>

The flying type gulped nervously as he surveyed the area. He knew that his warning might come in the form of his absence rather than his return. He had fifteen minutes before he needed to report back and knew that he had five minutes until he needed to start heading back to the village.

Pidgey thought he heard a noise in the direction that lead away from the village. The flying type tilted his head to get a better look. A little ways off he thought he saw movement. He needed to investigate that. It was either a wild pokémon that needed to be sent to the village or it was Team Rocket.

Pidgey cautiously fluttered to a tree nearer to the disturbance. He wished he and Hoothoot had switched places, she had night vision, and she would have been able to teach their daughter better.

He alighted in the upper boughs of the tree he had chosen. Pidgey knew that he would have to wait a bit before the source of the disturbance would make itself known.

The brown pokémon heard the noise of plant life being pushed aside and human footsteps. He hopped up to a higher branch and peered in the direction that the sounds were coming from.

He caught sight of the black uniform with the giant red Rs. Team Rocket grunts, five of them, screened by their pokémon, mostly ratatta's, nidorans, raticates, and a shandshrew. Every human had some sort of weapon ready. Pidgey waited, he needed to know if this was another scouting party.

His heart raced as they passed under his tree. One group. He needed to see another to be sure. But it might be that they were attacking and only sent one group down this way.

Wait, why was he panicking. Pidgey knew that he could fly back before this group reached the village. He wouldn't have to worry about them beating him back.

But if there were other groups, coming from areas he didn't know about...

The Rockets were several yards passed. It would be the perfect time to flee. But Pidgey desperately wanted to know if this was the attack or not. With incomplete intelligence Brock would be forced to tip their hand. But if might mean that the Rockets would be scared off and the League could send reinforcements before the next attack.

Pidgey decided to err on the side of caution. Waiting until he was sure that the Rockets and their pokémon weren't paying attention Pidgey took to wing and hurried back to the village.

* * *

><p>Ash Ketchum came to a decision.<p>

* * *

><p>Bulbasaur sat outside with what would be his two human comrades during the upcoming fight. Nobody talked. It suited the plant-type just fine.<p>

He snapped one his vines to burn some of his restless energy. Brock and Misty were doing similar things, including some warms ups, to deal with their own anticipation. Bulbasaur briefly wondered how many nights they would have to do this. Nobody at the village had any idea what day the Rockets would discover the village and attack, only that the attack would take place at night.

Although if Pidgey didn't get back soon then the fight would probably be tonight. Bulbasaur hoped that Pidgey was hurrying back and not wasting time fluttering about as some flying-types were want to, his daughter was worried sick about her father. And if Pidgey was wasting time then there would be Bulbasaur to pay.

Speak of the devil, there was Pidgey now.

Bulbasaur waited for the flying type to land in front of them before speaking up.

_Find anything birdie?_

_Stuff it weed. I saw a group of Rockets kitted out for a fight. Don't know if they were a scouting party or part of an attack._

_How were they deployed? _Bulbasaur demanded of Pidgey. _Did they have their pokémon out?_

_Yeah._

_They haven't done that before. Didn't trust them enough to use during scouting operations. Go to your daughter. You've done your part._

_I can do more,_ Pidgey protested.

_Go. To. Your. Daughter. _Bulbasaur commanded. _If you must do something then help Melanie with the hatchlings. And tell the older pokémon here to evacuate. None of them are in any state to help us._

_Fine. Don't die weed._

_Feh._

Pidgey took off towards the cabin where Melanie was sheltering the hatchlings. Brock and Misty turned to Bulbasaur.

"Is the attack coming?" Brock asked the plant-type, his voice calm. Misty fidgeted nervously as she stood next to him.

Bulbasaur nodded. Brock took a deep breath and then slowly released it. Misty started to breath faster, her fists clenching, and bent over a bit as her muscles tightened from the frantic explosion of nervous emotions that Bulbasaurs answer had ignited.

"Very well. Misty, release your pokémon and take your position." Brock ordered. "Bulbasaur, you know what to do. I should be able to catch the combat team in the gully or after they've passed through, but if I've missed them and they come here, just focus on holding out long enough for me to return. Remember to prioritize the trainers, if the Rocket trainers are down, their pokémon might take the opportunity to escape. And don't die."

And with that Brock took off into the forest.

Misty took a couple seconds to calm herself, before grabbing her pokéballs.

"Go! Staryu, Starmie, and Goldeen!" The red haired trainer cried out, throwing the red and white orbs. With a flash of light her three water type pokémon appeared.

"Staryu, you're with me. Starmie, you handle any pokémon in the air and support us as necessary. Hide until the fighting starts. Goldeen, you're in the water. Take out anyone who comes close." Misty said to her pokémon.

Her three pokémon complied. Goldeen flopped into the water, Starmie hid against the cabin, and Staryu stood next to Misty.

_You lot ready to fight? _Bulbasaur asked with a smirk.

_Hatched for it, _Staryu replied.

_As ready as I'll ever be, _Starmie answered.

_I've been waiting far too long for another one, _Golden said eagerly. _Ohhhh, this will be good._

"Everybody, we're going to need to use lethal force. Got it. This isn't a battle between League trainers," Misty told her pokémon.

_Even better, _Goldeen said happily, wiggling in the stream.

_Fine, _Staryu replied.

_I was afraid of that. _Starmie sighed. _But I'll do it, don't worry... right you can't understand me. I wonder if I could convince Ash to teach you..._

_Well, it'll be nice fighting alongside you lot, _Bulbasaur told his temporary comrades. _And just remember, the Rocket's ain't getting the hatchlings! If they want to even reach the door, they'll have to crawl over a hill made of the bodies of their teamates!_

* * *

><p>"Zubat," Brock whispered to the pokéball he held in his hand, "I need your ears."<p>

He knelt and place the pokéball on the ground. Then he reached into his belt and pulled out a square yard of tightly folded black cloth which he used to cover the pokéball. The boy from Pewter City then released his pokémon, with the cloth helping to conceal most of the flash.

He hadn't trained Zubat to operate blind or at night, like he had started doing so with his other pokémon after the fight with Aaron, but he didn't need to.

Brock tossed the cloth aside, there wasn't time to refold it, and then turned back to Zubat who was hovering by the former gym leader's head.

"Can you hear anyone?"

Zubat nodded.

"Can you tell if they're in a group or not?"

Another nod.

"Can you hear multiple groups?"

Another nod.

"Zubat, in which direction is the nearest group?"

Zubat indicated a direction to the right of the way Brock had been headed.

"And the biggest group?"

Zubat indicated a direction slightly to the left of the nearest group.

"Alright," Brock said, formulating a plan. "Worst come to worst I want you to get out of here. Got it? You haven't had enough training to participate in this fight. You'll be helping Onix navigate, nothing else."

Zubat, a little sad, nodded.

"Don't be like that. I'll probably be fine."

Zubat looked a little doubtful.

"Hey! I can take care of myself."

Zubat looked more doubtful.

"I swear. You know, I bet Aaron doesn't have this problem. Most of his pokémon respect him!"

* * *

><p>John Baker held his walky-talky close as he awaited word from the vanguard teams. Vincent had decided to give Team C a chance at redemption by using their squads as the vanguard. Their duty was simple, ensure that the routes were safe. Either by disarming any traps they encountered along their way or setting them off. It didn't matter to the Rocket leaders.<p>

He had the first combat group following a vanguard squad, the one that was taking the route that led through the gully. John himself was following several tens of yards behind. If he was on hand when they first encountered resistance then he could crush the main force of the defenders. Possibly. They might be waiting to ambush a later group in order to keep the Rocket forces separated. But the first squad from the combat team was the largest squad so it wouldn't do them much good. But if they somehow could get...

This was why John hated operating with minimal intelligence. He couldn't tell what the enemy could do, or what they were likely to do. All he could do was make plans to minimize the damage of any surprises they might encounter.

It was time for a check in.

"Vanguard Three," he said, pressing the talk button, "anything to report?"

"Nothing so far sir," was the reply he received.

He checked in with the other vanguard squads. They all reported the same thing. The attack seemed to be progressing smoothly.

John was busy putting the walky-talking away when he noticed that the first combat squad that he was following had stopped. That was odd. He looked down at his two pokémon. His growlithe and his rhyhorn were both standing at attention, like he had trained them to when they were out of their balls and didn't have orders. He turned back to the combat team. His instincts were telling him that something was about to happen.

"What's going on?" John said, using the walky-talky to communicate with the nearby group. It seemed somewhat wasteful but there might not be time to run the message over.

"We heard a noise out in the forest, off the route, to the west. Trying to identify it. Probably nothing."

"Don't worry about it. I'll investigate. Keep going."

The combat team started to move once more. But before most of them had taken two steps, there was a brilliant flash of light off in the woods, and a roar.

"Onix!" The rock-type's deep voice sounded through the trees that the pokémon itself was smashing through as it charged the combat squad.

In the dark they could only see a long, segmented, and bulbous shape rush them. Those nearest to it briefly felt the ground beneath their feet tremble before it reached them.

It slammed into the center of the group, sending man and pokémon alike flying like leaves in autumn. Their screams filled the air as their shattered bodies hit earth and tree.

"Onix!" Another cry as the damned stone serpent spun, lashing out with its tail to clear out more of the combat group. Those that were frozen in surprise or shock were caught by the living rock. Very few of those Rockets or pokémon survived.

Others managed to dodge the blow, leaping both above and below the attack. Fire, lightning, vines, claws, fangs, and even a beak, retaliated. Orange and yellow light lit the night illuminating the grey monster.

It reared back, towering over the Rockets and their attacking pokémon, and roared once more. Its voice shook the clearing and gave everyone pause, even John.

But if it was trying to break the spirits of the men or their pokémon its roar failed. The combat team and their pokémon were both too well trained for that to happen.

More attacks hit it, fire blasting its face, vines beating out a savage beat on its body, raticates and doduos clawing, biting, and pekcing at it, and their trainers attacking it with weapons. But if the giant pokémon gave no indication that it even noticed their attacks. It simply turned and began to move away.

John and his pokémon were rushing to join the fray, when the combat team leader noticed two shapes detach themselves from the stone leviathan. A vaguely spherical shape with two arms and a human, probably a teenager from their size. He guessed that first shape was a geodude and the human was the trainer of the two rock-types.

Both started fighting the disorganized Rockets immediately. The geodude used a spinning backhand to take out a vulpix that was about to launch an attack on the human. Its trainer landed feet first on a Rocket, knocking the woman out, and then calmly stood up. Another Rocket charged him, attack from his side. The new trainer calmly used their mace to cave his head in without even looking.

John Baker knew that this was not good.

"Rhyhorn use Horn Attack on the geodude! Growlithe Fire Fang the trainer!"

His pokémon surged into action on both sides. Foliage snapped and was crushed beneath Rhyhorn as it charged the geodue that was busy slamming its fists down on both of heads of a doduo. Growlithe followed, fire gathering in its mouth as it leapt towards the attacking trainer.

In the orange light of the fire pokémon's attack John could make out some details of the attacker. From what little bare skin there was he could tell that the trainer was dark skinned. And from the shape he could tell it was a boy.

The boy turned to deal with the attacking growlithe, putting his arm between the attack and his body. Growlithe bit down on the limb but failed to penetrate the armor that the trainer was wearing. The trainer used the momentum from Growlithe's attack to spin and crush in the face of a Rocket that attempted to stab him in the back.

John had drawn his short sword and was ready to engage the boy in hand to hand fighitng, supported by his pokémon and his fellow Rockets, when he heard a crash followed by a scream and a groan. His Rhyhorn had been flipped on its back, landing right on top of one of his men. He didn't see the geodude- But there was a gloom headed right towards his face...

* * *

><p>Brock shook his arm as he completed his turn, throwing the growlithe off of him. His mace sped down to crush its skull but the fire type partially evaded the blow. With a sickening crack the mace shattered its right foreleg.<p>

It whimpered as it rolled out of range. Brock knew it wasn't out of the fight yet, if nothing else it could use long range fire attacks. Had he not been in the middle of a battle, it would've broken Brock's heart to know what had happened and what must happen to the pokémon.

Enslaved by cruel men and tortured until it had no will left, treated as a mere tool, and used as a weapon against those who would save it, the growlithe's life was a horrible one. And now, unless fortune smiled on them both, Brock would have to kill it to save others from its fate.

This was why the League had such strict rules about the treatment of prisoner. Rocket prisoners had an unfortunate tendency of dying.

Brock ran forward, kicking a raticate out of the way without breaking stride, and then brought his mace down on the arm of a Rocket that was moving to support the growlithe. The man briefly screamed before Brock kicked him in the stomach and sent him into a nearby tree.

There was a clang and he felt his helmet vibrate. The gym leader reversed and saw a Rocket with two hatchets swinging at him. That was good. Brock hadn't seen anyone equipped with the right weapons to take him out so far. As long as they kept attacking with their weapons, kept going for lethal attacks, Brock was somewhat safe. When the Rockets were doing that, they weren't trying to dogpile him. That would be the best way for the group to take him down.

Brock let fly a left cross, his armored hand breaking the man's nose. Without missing a beat the Rocket tried to hack the limb off. Brock used his mace to smash the hand holding the hatchet instead.

The boy from Pewter City had trained for this. Trained all of his life in fact. Trained by his father. Trained by his mother. Trained by everyone at the gym while he was growing up. He had spent countless hours learning martial forms, how to use both his body and mace as weapons. When he was old enough he had spent the time training his body, hardening it, and building up his muscles. And when he had received his pokémon he had trained with them as well.

He trained their defense, building it beyond the impressive amount that their type had given. His training had given them a resistance to their weaknesses, as Geodude demonstrated by flying through a storm of Razor Leaves to punch an oddish into an electabuzz. He had trained them and himself until he was able to look Bruno in the eye and say that he deserved to be a gym leader.

These men were no match for him. Many of their pokémon came from a common pool and lacked proper training. And those who had their own pokémon never devoted enough attention to them. Even though they were the combat troops they neglected their pokémon in favor of other pursuits and vices. None of them had the training or the will to stand against Brock and his pokémon.

Brock's mace whistled through the air as he used it to send blood and brains flying, to shatter bones and weapons, and to beat the enemy down. In the space of three seconds two Rockets fell dead at his feet and he had engaged another Rocket who used a short sword.

This Rocket's uniform was different from the others. He dodged a swipe of the mace, feinted with his sword, and then attempted to grapple Brock. Brock guessed that he was probably one of their officers given his skill level.

He forced the man to back off by kicking at his shins. Two more Rocket's attacked him, one on either side. Brock caught a machete in his armored left hand and took a hatchet blow to his right shoulder. His armor protected him well enough. He pulled on the machete, jerking the attacker on his left between him and the officer, and swung out with his mace to his right, trying to guess where the attacker was. Brock guessed right, and his mace caved in the left side of the pretty blonde Rocket's face.

The man with the machete let go of his weapon, realizing that he needed to sacrifice it to escape, but it was too late. Brock kicked the side of his knee and the man cried out. The gym leader permanently silenced him with the mace.

Flames covered his vision, probably the growlithe using some sort of long ranged fire attack. Brock's helmet and armor were insulated enough to prevent the heat from harming him but the gym leader could be taken down if he overheated. Brock also knew that the officer and his men would capitalize on his lack of vision and attack.

Brock surged forward and checked the officer in the stomach, the height difference working for Brock for once. The Rocket grunted and threw himself backward to avoid Brock's follow up blow. He then counter attacked, his sword flashing in the light of the moon as he tried to stab and slice Brock through the small gaps in his armor.

Brock caught the sword on his mace and pushed against the man. A feral grin spread across his face, under the helmet. Brock knew he would have to hold them here. Reinforcements were probably headed his way, though Onix would be focused on disrupting them. If Brock failed to stop the combat teams then they would overwhelm Misty who would have her hands full with the Grunts that Onix would miss.

It was time to do or die.

* * *

><p>Misty and Bulbasaur waited back the village staring into the dark depths of the forest. They could hear roars and screams from the fighting out in the forest, as well as the occasional flash of light from fire or electrical attacks.<p>

Misty shivered. They weren't very pleasant sounds.

Wisps of smoke rose up from the forest at several points, giving the full moon gray tattoos as they floated before the celestial orb.

Bulbasaur grunted as he heard noises in the forest getting louder. He could make out footsteps and speech. It was the first batch of Rockets that had managed to escape Onix.

_Come on you bastards! _He shouted, challenging the attackers and warning Misty. His vines were writhing and lashing like angry snakes as he charged towards the noise. Misty and Staryu took up defensive stances behind him.

Five Rockets and ten pokémon burst out of the woods. Two humans carried duel hatchets, one had a machete, another a club, and the last one had spiked brass knuckles. There were three scarred ratattas, a cyndaquil, a tentacool, a zubat, two beedrills, and a machop.

Misty knew what her first move should be, have Staryu take down the cyndaquil. Her heart and mind rebelled against potentially killing the small and frightened looking pokémon, but she knew there was no choice.

"Staryu Water Gun the cyndaquil!" The order was given and a jet of high pressure water streaked across the clearing. It hit the cyndaquil with a burst of hissing steam and sent the small fire type flying back into the forest. Misty thought that she saw it cough up a dark liquid as it tumbled away. She squashed the guilt that welled up inside her. There was no time for that.

The Rockets shouted orders to their pokémon. Bulbasaur interrupted with an autumn's day worth of Razor Leafs. Rockets and Rocket pokémon were forced to scatter or die. One leaf clipped a beedrill's wing. It buzzed angrily as it fell. The other beedrill also abandoned the air to avoid the last of the leaves. Both poison types turned towards the plant type and Misty knew what was coming next.

"Barrage Counter!" She order Staryu as she heard the Rockets order the beedrills to use Pin Missile. Barrage Counter was a move developed by her sisters and taught to all pokémon that trained at the Cerulean gym. It was a variation of water gun, where the pokémon sprayed a wide area jet of water to slow or stop numerous projectiles.

The wall of water met the storm of needles and the needles clattered to the ground. The scattered Rocket pokémon started to charge the outnumbered defenders, while their human masters held back. That was how most fights went down. Pokémon from both sides would fight in the middle and their trainers held back, unable to cross the area where the pokémon were fighting. Unless one side pulled off a flanking maneuver, or the pokémon fight moved, neither side was able to engage the other in hand to hand combat. Half the time fights ended with one side's pokémon breaking through and taking out the opposing trainers.

The three rattatas attacked Bulbasaur together as the plant type counter charged. Vines lashed out and grabbed two ratatta tails as Bulbasaur and the remaining ratatta exchanged Tackles. The ratatta was forced back, skidding through the grass that glistened from the fallout of Misty's attacks. Bulbasaur followed up by using the other two ratattas as living flails. All three screamed in pain, barely audible over the repeated smacks of flesh hitting flesh.

Misty prepared to back the plant type up as the other Rocket pokémon continued their charge, but they flowed around the busy plant type. What's more, the Rocket humans also began to charge. She realized what was happening. The numerical inequality meant the Rockets could use their pokémon as shields while they swarmed Misty. It was also an attack born of desperation, they had lost nearly half their pokémon already.

"Bubblebeam!" Staryu let loose a stream of hard hitting bubbles, blasting away at the Rockets like the machine guns of old. The attackers weaved and dodged, trying to avoid as many bubbles as they could. Misty saw several humans and pokémon stagger as they were hit.

"Tentacool Bubblebeam!" An opposing stream of bubbles raced towards Misty and Staryu. They separated. Staryu soared to the right of the group, exchanging high velocity bubbles with the tentacool the entire time. Misty's pokémon managed to knock the club wielding Rocket before Misty jumped into the middle of their group.

Four on one was not good odds, even considering the skill difference. She needed to move quickly and aggressively to even the odds. They hadn't been expecting her to attack them yet. Misty had an instant of surprise.

The water type specialist nailed one of the hatchet wielding Rockets with a one-two punch combo to the jaw, followed by a knee between his legs, and then finished him off with a right cross. The brass knuckled part of her trench knives made sure that the Rocket wouldn't get up any time soon.

She flowed around the falling Rocket to gain a quick reprieve. It was just in the nick of time too; the man's comrades were attacking where she had been.

Three on one, better odds. Still not good odds. The other hatchet wielder was on her right, the man with the machete on her left, and the one with the spiked brass knuckles was in front of her, separated by the prone body of his comrade.

Misty feinted to the right and then dashed left. She had hoped to catch the machete wielder by surprise but his reflexes were too good for that. Instead she was forced to catch the machete with an x-block using her blades. The gym trainer didn't bother pushing against him, he'd overpower her and it would give his teammates a chance to attack.

Instead she released the block and spun around him. His back was exposed, her blades were ready-

murderer

-and she ran past to assault the flank of the man with the spiked knuckles. He ducked and dodged her flurry of punches and was about to drive his weapon into the underside of her chin when there was an eruption of pain in his right kneecap. He stumbled.

Misty was unable to capitalize on the momentary advantage as his comrades ran in. She slipped behind him and kicked him in the rear. He stumbled forward, forcing the other Rockets to change course. Misty launched herself at the man with the machete again.

Once more blades clashed, but this time Misty slammed her helmeted head into his unprotected jaw. He didn't stagger, but he quit pushing against her blades. She flowed around him, to his side, and let loose another right hook. The Rocket managed to turn with the blow but this time he did stagger. Misty prepared to finish him off.

She was interrupted by a hatchet to her shoulder. That member of Team Rocket had moved faster than she thought he could.

The blow hurt, but her armor stopped the hatchet from penetrating, and the force of the blow wasn't enough to dislocate her shoulder. Misty managed to roll forward and take a low stance when he tried to follow up. He wasn't able to stop his charge in time. Misty rebounded and hit him with a brass knuckled punch to the nuts.

His two remaining comrades winced in sympathy as he went cross eyed. The red haired trainer finished him off with a rising uppercut and then jumped over the prone body to make sure that it was between her and the other two Rockets.

Misty panted as both sides paused. Her style of fighting was energy intensive. She would have to finish these two quickly in order to rest up for the next wave.

Two on one odds. She'd had better but- Oh. Apparently Bulbasaur had finished off their pokémon and decided to take one of them off of her hands. Those spiked knuckles really weren't a help against vines wrapped around the throat.

One on one. Much better.

She moved while the other Rocket was still distracted by Bulbasaur's sudden entrance. He caught her coming out of the corner of his eye. The machete wielder jumped away and drew his head back to avoid the blow to the side of his jaw...

Too slow for either of them.

Misty had launched another right cross and the man had jumped to the right. But the blades on her trench knives stuck out away from her center. What he had done was move his throat into the path of her blade.

Sharpened metal met flesh. Flesh parted. Blood spurted. Misty's fist continued across his throat before it jerked away. She had overextended the blow on purpose to set up a follow up spinning elbow strike.

Elbow met bloody jaw with a sharp crack! The last Rocket staggered and made a gurgling sound. Then he fell forward.

Misty felt something wet on her hands and elbow. She looked down. There were splotches of dark liquid all over her right hand and left elbow. She mentally reviewed the last few second in her head.

Oh, Arceus. She-

murderer

murderer

murderer

murderer

murderer murderer murderer murderer murderer murderer murderer murderer murderer murderer murderer murderer murderer murderer murderer

murderer murderer murderer murderer

**murderer murderer murderer murderer murderer murderer**

**MURDERER MURDERER MURDERER MURDERER MURDERER MURDERER MURDERER MURDERER MURDERER MURDERER MURDERER MURDERER MURDERER MURDERER MURDERER MURDERER MURDERER MURDERER MURDERER**

**MURDERERMURDERERMURDERER**

**-MISTYtookadeepbreath**

Sherememberedthecyndaquil.

Misty remembered Melanie. She remembered the hatchlings cowering inside.

She remembered the two Rockets back at the Viridian pokémon center and the fear she had felt when they had tried to steal her pokémon.

Another deep breath.

Then she spat on the body.

* * *

><p>Vincent Yamamoto ran through the forest as fast as he could. John Baker and the combat team squads were being massacred by a lone trainer and his geodude. The boy was focusing on merely holding Baker off while killing the other members of the combat team. Casualties were high; two squad had been lost already and a third was being mauled. Meanwhile an onix roamed the forest killing Grunt squads left and right. The way it found each group was unnerving, onixs weren't known for their tracking ability.<p>

Their wave strategy had worked against them this night. Had they moved the combat team as one group they could have overwhelmed the trainer and the geodude, or at least forced the onix to stay and support them. Instead he was able to slaughter each wave before the next could arrive. Meanwhile his onix was able to roam the countryside, the mountain pokémon ignoring and smashing through any difficulties presented by the terrain, and rush isolated squads without needing support.

And they still had no word on the defenses around the village proper. Hell, Vincent didn't even know if a squad had made it near the village proper without being smashed, squashed, broken, crushed, and torn apart by that damned onix.

He needed a new plan quickly. He brought his walky-talky up to his mouth.

"Combat Squad Five, take a route that has already been cleared," Vincent ordered, "or whichever route has been cleared the most. Combat Squad Four keep moving to assist Combat Team Leader. All Grunt squads are to abandon stealth. Make your audio and visual profiles as large as you can. Draw attention away from Combat Squad Five. I'm moving to assist Combat squads Four and Five."

Confirmations were spit out of his walky-talky as Vincent hurried to help Baker. They would still win this battle.

* * *

><p>Another man fell to his mace, his blood splattering all over Brock's front. The former Pewter City gym leader took a moment to catch his breath, while geodude continued to subdue the Rocket pokémon while the humans circled him warily. This wasn't his preferred method of fighting, his style was more stationary, emphasizing defense and strong attacks. His current situation, however, called for him to keep moving to avoid being swarmed. Brock needed to avoid the Rocket officer while killing all of his men. Individually he was no match for Brock, but with his men supporting him the officer could be deadly.<p>

Geodude threw the rhyhorn across the clearing, the stone body breaking the bodies of humans and pokémon alike. That rhyhorn didn't want to go down. Geodude had been smacking it around for the duration of the battle, when not busy beating down other pokémon, but nothing seemed to stick.

The Rockets tried to rush Brock while he was resting. Brock took action and ran at them. He checked a Rocket, who had a honest to Arceus battle axe, sending him soaring backwards. Blades and clubs bounced off his armor as he cleared the group.

Brock skidded to a stop, whirling around and swinging his mace downward and shattering a spear raised in a hasty block by a petite brunette. Another swing broke three of her ribs and one more swing broke her neck. She toppled to the ground, her jade green eyes going blank.

There were four left, not counting the officer. If he could finish them quickly then he could take down the officer before the next wave arrived. It would be tiring. But it was a good plan.

Brock stood his ground, letting his head droop, as the remaining Rockets rushed him to the front. The officer came charging in behind them. Brock let his weariness take him and fell to one knee. His attackers adjusted their stances as they readied to descend on him.

Right as they reached him Brock exploded into action. His spiked mace swung low, shattering a shin and sweeping the Rocket's leg out from under its owner. Brock slammed his head into the chin of the falling man and teeth crunched together.

One of the remaining Rockets dropped their weapon and grabbed the former gym leader's right arm. They finally realized that the best strategy would be to trap his limbs and then finish him off at their leisure. Brock sacrificed his weapon right away, letting it fall to the ground, and then grappled with the Rocket. The others were forced to back off as to avoid hitting their comrade.

Brock dominated his opponent and hurled him at the officer. It would buy him a bit of time to deal with the others.

Two daggers stabbed downward, seeking gaps in his armor. A club swung towards his groin, hoping to distract him. A large cleaver sliced towards his left arm.

Brock twisted as he threw a punch towards the dagger wielding Rocket. He wasn't exceptionally fast for a gym leader, but he was faster than the Rocket combat team. His fist broke the other guy's nose and put them in enough pain to keep them out of the fight.

The club bounced off of his outer thigh and the cleaver missed. Brock then dropped his upper body down and unleashed a mule kick at the cleaver wielding Rocket. He caught the man in the stomach and knocked the wind out of him. The club came for him again, but Brock righted himself, catching the arm in the process, and in a series of grappling moves, proceeded to break the arm.

As the Rocket fell, Brock took the opportunity to finish off the man with the cleaver with a haymaker.

Then the officer was upon him.

Moonlight glinted off the sword as it dart to and fro in an effort to get past Brock's armor. The rock-type trainer was forced to abandon retrieving his mace in favor of warding off the officers attacks.

Grunts echoed through the clearing as the officer danced around Brock, throwing everything he had into the attack. He, like Brock, knew that now was the perfect time to finish him. He was hoping either to stall long enough for reinforcements to arrive or take out the gym leader then.

Brock made sure to catch his opponent's blade on the toughest parts of his armor. He tried to counter attack but the Rocket kept dancing out of his range. Brock needed his mace back in order to end this fight before more Rockets arrived.

Thrust. Slash. Stab. Thrust. Slash. Stab. Stab. Stab.

During the last attack the officer overextended himself. Brock took the opportunity to throw him. The man rolled but Brock gained a bit of time. His eyes frantically searched the clearing for the spot where he dropped his weapon.

There.

His mace was sticking out of the ground at an angle, the spikes keeping from falling on its side. It was to the left of Brock and the right of the Rocket midway between the two. The officer's eyes met Brock's squint.

Brock's opponent dashed for the weapon to prevent the gym leader from retrieving it. Brock purposefully waited a fraction of a second before doing the same thing. The officer dove for the mace. Brock let him.

The officer's hand closed around the mace and he started to roll forward, arms to the side, in order to regain his stance. But Brock interrupted his roll by stomping on his back. The man cried out as Brock pushed him into the ground with his foot. Another stomp, another scream, and Brock's mace was dropped. One more stomp to break the sword hand, a cacophony of pops, cracks, and screams.

Brock bent over, picked up his mace, and stomped on the officer's upper back to stop him from getting back up.

* * *

><p>John Baker knew that he had several broken bones in his right hand. His left arm didn't feel so good and every movement made his back feel like it was being consumed in white hot flames. He was having trouble with his vision; it was like trying to see through a long dark tunnel.<p>

The Rocket tried to get up. He pushed through the pain from his limbs and forced his back to move. He needed to get up. He was John Baker. He did not fail. He would not fall here. He had survived so much already. The Fuchsia city ninjas had failed to put him down. Fires from the Cinnabar volcano and the contingent of gym trainers didn't finish him. His brush with Bruno, during which so many Rockets had been captured, had ended with him escaping.

No, he would not fail here.

He let loose a strangled scream as his opponent stomped on his back again. The ground met him again and he couldn't stop himself from moaning in pain.

No. He refused to let it end.

John Baker picked up his head. He saw the armored boy before him, mace raised, and then there was moveme-

* * *

><p>Brock sighed and wiped some of the blood splatter off of his helmet. It had been a hard fight but the Rockets were down and their pokémon were scattered. He sat back on his haunches and tried to get his breathing and heart rate under control. Beside him Geodude lowered himself to the ground, also tired from his efforts.<p>

Had that been all of the combat team? Brock wasn't sure. He had no idea about the numbers or the organization of the Rockets other then what the League knew. Undoubtedly Team Rocket was going to change up their structure and tactics and the League would have to get new intel and the high placed traitor would warn Team Rocket when the League had that...

Dammit. It looked like it would never end. Nights like this would reoccur for an unforeseeable amount of time, ending in tragedy, victory, or some bittersweet mix of the two. People and pokémon would continue to die, innocents killed by Team Rocket, League members falling in battle or tortured at some Rocket hideout, pokémon being stolen and broken, and innocents of both species taken by Team Rocket to be forced into doing their bidding would fall at the hands of the League in order to save others.

For a moment a dark rage mixed with despair welled up in Brock, a mass of strangling vines, a poisonous miasma, black lightning, smoke choked fire, painful, hot, and suffocating. In that moment he wanted to feel hot blood flowing over his hands as someone in a Rocket uniform begged for mercy and then he would break them...

But the moment faded and there was only an emptiness left. Grief rapidly filled that emptiness, followed by despairing acceptance. It would never end. Even if they defeated Team Rocket someone else would simply take their place. Brock's head fell and he let himself sag.

But there was one more emotion piping up. One that reminded him that once it was much worse. Team Rocket had worked openly in the past. They had nearly been able to take major cities, casting a shadow of the violence of the world shattering war on the recovering country. Every man, woman, and child had nights like the current back then. Nowadays people like himself were able to shoulder most of the burden and spare those like Aaron or most of Pallet Town, Viridian City, Pewter City, and all the other Kanto towns. Even if Team Rocket and their ilk would never be gone, Brock could still lessen their influence and make the world a better place.

Brock chuckled.

He forced himself to return to thinking about business. He wasn't sure, but he didn't recall seeing any of the Rockets trying to communicate. Hopefully that meant that either he had finished off all of the combat team or that they would still come down this route. Misty should only have to deal with the Grunts.

He just needed a moment to rest. One minute before he heard crashing and roaring from large pokémon and the battle-cries of Team Rocket members. Yes one minute without the sounds he was hearing behind him.

Dammit.

Brock jumped to his feet, taking a ready stance. Geodude groaned and floated up to take his place beside his trainer.

More Rockets were charging him, pokémon arrayed before them. At their head was a large Nidoking, spewing Poison Stings as it attacked. Among the humans was a scarred green haired man in one of the Rocket officer uniforms. Two wicked looking sai daggers gleamed in the moonlight as he spun them into a better grip.

Brock and Geodude glanced at each other and nodded. Bellowing their own war cries they rushed towards the approaching enemies.

Not a single Rocket would get past, Brock swore to himself. He would stop them all here or die trying.

* * *

><p>Misty sighed as Staryu hit a stray Rocket pokémon with Tackle. Other than the brief bit of excitement earlier with the Grunt squad it had been quiet on her end. Evidently there were no problems on Brock's end or Onix's end. That was a good thing.<p>

Bulbasaur was resting in front of her, lying on the soft grass. His part of the fight hadn't really been tiring but he wanted to be at one hundred percent when the next fight came. Also, apart from the screams, it was a nice night out. Perfect for stargazing or moon watching.

Dammit, a bit of smoke drifted in front of the area he was watching. Some people could be so inconsiderate, Bulbasaur thought to himself as he heard another dying scream.

Hmm. What was that? It sounded like movement in the forest nearby. Bulbasaur groaned and picked himself up. Another lost Rocket pokémon to knock out.

Wait ...it sounded rather large... or like several entities. Another group then. Time to get work.

_Set one foot here and I'll destroy you! _Bulbasaur shouted. If they were just a group of pokémon he might scare them off. If they were a Rocket group then Misty would know they were coming.

His vines came out again as Misty and Staryu took up fighting stances. Time to go again.

A magmar, an electabuzz, two houndooms, and a muk exploded out of the woods, launching fire, lightning, and Sludge Bombs at the defenders. Misty dove out of the way as a fireball exploded where she had been standing. Bits of ember drifted down like glowing snow as she rolled into a crouch. She was forced to move again when she saw the electabuzz look her way. A bolt of yellow electricity scorched the area where she had been.

Bulbasaur plunged his vines into the ground and ripped up a chunk larger than Misty. He ran forward, streams of fire shattering on the impromptu shield, lightning grounding itself on the uprooted earth, and poisonous sludge splattered and soaked into the shield. Bulbasaur crossed the distance and swung his earthen club at the magmar. But the flaming pokémon sidestepped the attack and drew in a deep breath.

Bulbasaur tried to move the shield between himself and the upcoming fire attack but a ball of fire exploded behind him. The plant-type stumbled. He dropped the hunk of earth and was left defenseless.

Misty and Staryu were busy avoiding the elctrobuzz as coruscating streamers of yellow energy danced around the clearing. The two houndooms were behind Bulbasaur, the muk was lurking near the treeline, and five human members of Team Rocket made a break for the cabin.

It happened in the blink of an eye. A short and powerful blast of water smashed into the magmar. Steam exploded everywhere and the fire-type screamed. A whirling blur sped across the face of the moon. It descended into the Rockets, scattering four, and hit another on the head. His neck twisted into an unnatural angle with a loud crack and he fell like a puppet with its strings cut.

Starmie had evidently decided, and rightly so, that the fighters on the ground needed support. Well, they needed their nuts pulled out of the fire, but needed support sounded better to Bulbasaur.

He dashed away from the collection of fire type pokémon, shooting a stream of Razor Leaves at the electrobuzz, aiming high. Yellow power flared as the electrobuzz turned from its assualt on Misty and Staryu. It burned through the flying leaves and just over Bulbasaur's head.

"Staryu, get the fire types and the muk! Starmie you help!" Misty bellowed. Bulbasaur could handle the electrobuzz. It couldn't handle four pokémon it was weak against.

Misty sprinted into the scattered Rockets, setting one up for a running right cross. Under the light of the moon she could see that his uniform was different from before, even if she couldn't make out the details. Factor in their relatively strong pokémon as well and she could guess that these were members of the combat team. What had happened to Brock? How had they gotten past?

No time for questions, time for punches. She threw another right cross. Her brass knuckles raced towards the man's jaw, unforgiving metal ready to shatter another jaw.

Surprisingly, it didn't. Faster than a striking ekans, the Rocket turned with the punch, neutralizing most of the damage. Almost too fast for Misty to notice his right fist, wearing a regular set of brass knuckles, shot towards her face like a spring uncoiled. Acting on instinct she tilted her head to the right, metal skidding off the edge of her helmet.

Wasting no time Misty ducked under his arm, and with a series of steps that had been ingrained in her from childhood, twisted to his side. One kidney punch, elbow strike to the back of the head, another dodge, two steps in retreat, a punch that turned into a slash along the Rocket's arm, and finally an uppercut, the Rocket was down.

Yes, definitively part of the combat team, that man had been more skilled than the Grunts from earlier. And now three of them were converging on her.

A bladed spear (where the hell did they get that) slashed downward, forcing her to sidestep into the rush of a man wielding two reverse bladed knives. The red haired trainer dodged and weaved as she reversed, unable to counter attack. She heard movement behind her and threw herself to the side. A club swept through the area her legs would've been.

The spear returned, stabbing down to pin Misty like a collected butterfly. The Cerulean trainer launched herself forward, only to be set on by the other two Rockets.

So it continued, the three members of the combat team coordinating their attacks, trying to trap the helmeted red head. Misty continued to duck, dodge, and flow around their attacks, searching for an opportunity to strike back. Sparks flew each time she was too slow or too late in dodging an attack from bladed weapons, leaving scratches on her armor. Each time the club clipped her Misty grunted in pain.

She bent backward at the waist, spine parallel to the ground, the moonlight flashing off the spear's blade as it barely cleared her helmet. A reverse bladed knife whistled by her throat. The club impacted the ground where Misty had been a moment before.

Each breath burned. All the clothes under her armor were soaked in sweat. Her legs ached from constant use. Her arms burned each time she was forced to block or deflect. She was tiring. Not too fast. But enough. At her current rate she wouldn't be able to fight anyone after the three she was currently facing.

A man's voice screamed from inside the cabin. Misty stopped herself from looking, unlike the man with the spear. There was a split second of opportunity. Misty flowed under the pole and inside his guard. The Rocket member was quick to put an arm between his throat and her, even as he tried back off. Misty didn't bother trying to get past it. She simply stabbed a blade into his right shoulder.

She withdrew before the other two could attack. The scream must've come from a Rocket who had snuck into the cabin. If she looked now Misty knew that she would see the door to the cabin open and light from inside spilling out onto the hill. Melanie evidently could still wield the bow.

F*ck, the spear wielder wasn't as impaired as she had hoped, Misty noted, backpedaling furiously away from a storm of stabbing attacks. Time for plan B.

The water-type specialist started to retreat strictly backward, no more side stepping or other similar moves. Each step she took taking her closer to the stream and the pools.

Orange light flicked behind the Rockets as the grass caught fire. Staryu and Starmie were locked in a heated engagement with the two houndooms and the muk, fire and poison arcing through the sky as they sought the two star pokémon. The magmar lay in pieces, cut apart by pressurized streams of water. Bulbasaur was busy beating down the electabuzz with another hunk of earth.

A step back. Another step back. And one more step into cold water.

Almost there.

Another stab from the spear. Another slash from the knives. Another crushing blow from the club. The attacks weren't letting up. And it was harder for Misty to move as she waded deeper into the stream.

But the club wielder set foot in the water.

"Goldeen!" Misty called out. And the fish-like pokémon that had been lying in wait responded.

She erupted out of the water, droplets catching and returning the light of the moon, as she soared. Her horn pierced flesh and bone, entering the Rocket under his chin and exiting at the top of his head. His eyes were wide in death as he toppled backwards.

Goldeen thrashed and flipped away from her victim and back into the stream. For a split second the other two Rockets stared in surprise and Misty took it as an opportunity to move.

Bursting out of the water, she was on the spear wielder before he could react. Her knives and knuckles became a silver blur under the full moon, beating and cutting the man all over. She sank her left knife into his right shoulder, by the earlier wound, and used it as leverage to spin him between her and his comrade.

She started hauling away on his face, her right fist reducing it to a bloody mess. He was tougher than her earlier opponents. One blow wouldn't put him down. She would use as many blows as she needed to.

It was then everything went wrong.

Rockets and pokémon appeared out of the forest, flat out sprinting for the cabin. They mustve just arrived and saw that all the defenders were occupied. They chose a spot between the stream and the battle between the League and Rocket pokémon to enter the clearing and made no attempt to join those fights.

There was no time. Misty swung her fist and a human's lifeblood was splattered all over her, a second red baptism. She yanked her blade out of the dying man's shoulder and pushed him at the man with the reverse bladed knives. Before she could take off after the newcomers he swatted his comrade away and rushed her. His attacks were fierce, fast, and desperate. Misty was forced to give him her full attention.

Bulbasaur tried to disengage from the almost beaten electabuzz, but the electric-type would have none of it. It upped the frequency of its attacks, electricity dancing everywhere. Staryu and Starmie were in a similar situation.

Misty waited on the defensive for her foe to slip up. He let one slash grow too wild and then she slipped within his guard. He was able to protect his throat, so Misty simply slammed her blades into his kidneys. He gasped and she threw the crown of her helmeted head into his chin.

She let go of her trench knives and started to wail on him with her armored fists. She sent blood and teeth flying. The Rocket staggered back and she kicked him between the legs.

He fell to his knees and Misty took the opportunity to retrieve her knives. Blood spurted as steel left flesh. The Team Rocket associate dropped his own weapons in favors of holding his wounds closed.

Misty dashed towards the cabin. There were far too many men for Melanie to handle. She needed to get inside-

Four Rocket Grunts and their pokémon had detached themselves from the main group and were waiting for her. The only way into the cabin was through them.

Misty charged.

* * *

><p>The battle was fierce. Metal clanged on metal between streams of fire and electricity. Sai daggers flashed and slashed and Brock's mace crushed bone, weapon, and flesh alike.<p>

Geodude battle the nidoking, taking time to land blows on other pokémon when he could. Brock did battle with the Rocket commander, occasionally pausing to crush someone else's skull.

Brock bled from cuts all over his body, where the sai daggers had found chinks in his armor. Geodude was in a similar condition as the nidokings ground-type attacks and strength batter the rock-type.

The mace swept downward in a powerful crushing blow but the Rocket commander danced out of the way, trying to catch the handle of the mace in the prongs of his dagger. That was how the fight had been progressing thus far. The green haired Rocket commander sought to disarm Brock while not inflicting small wounds on the gym leader. Brock simply tried to land a blow.

The gym leaders left arm shot out, forearm perpendicular to the ground, and swept away a hatchet blow from a different Rocket. He traded a wound from the commander's sai dagger in exchange for crushing the other attacker's skull.

Once more he needed to finish off all of the mooks before he could hope to deal with their boss. Every muscle protested each time he swung the mace, the exertion of the previous fight and his new collection of cuts were taking their toll.

Under the light of a burning tree Geodude and nidoking duked it out. Stone fist met purple fist under a shower of glowering embers. Blows were exchanged resulting in a staccato of stone on flesh and flesh on stone. Shadows danced a barbaric dance all over the nearby forest, moving with both flickering flame and blood seeking combatant.

A wild uppercut from Geodude sent the poison-type pokémon skidding backwards, right next to Brock. For a second the two pokémon froze, staring at each other.

Brock let out a brief cry of pain as the purple tail whacked him across the chest. The blow from the pokémon sent him flying across the clearing, and into a tree with a loud thud, shaking its branches. He fell limply to the ground.

The Rocket commander said nothing. No words had been exchanged in the entirety of their battle. Their breath was better saved for killing the enemy. So he rushed forward, seeking to finish his downed foe.

Geodude tried to intervene, but was thrown to the ground by Nidoking. He watched helplessly as the Rocket commander raced across the clearing, daggers plunging for a weakness in Brock's armor near the throat.

A sickening sound filled the clearing. A silver weapon arced into the forest. The green haired man jumped back, cradling his crushed hand close to his chest.

Brock had pretended to be down in order to catch his enemy off guard. He was now shakily getting to his feet, mace held at the ready.

"Nidoking kill him!" Ordered the wounded Rocket commander. He thought he heard rumbling from somewhere, but he dismissed it. There were more important things to worry about.

Nidoking kicked Geodude out of the way and ran towards Brock. No need to waste energy with special attacks when he could simply crush the human.

Brock stared at the pokémon rushing him. He wasn't as wounded as he had pretended to be but he still was pretty out of it. Dodging this would require precise timing. Dodge too soon and the pokémon could correct its course. Too late and he would die. But in his current state Brock didn't know if he could time it right.

What was that rumbling?

Trees snapped as a long grey blur exploded out of the forest and barreled into Nidoking. The poison-type yelped as it dug a furrow in the earth on its back. The grey blur wound itself around the poison/ground-type and squeezed. Hard.

There was a crack and Nidoking went still. Onix roared, shaking the confidence of the remaining Rocket pokémon and their trainers.

Vincent Yamamoto took stock of the situation. Broken hand, several squadmates dead, plenty of their pokémon defeated, and a giant stone snake. Time to go.

"Retreat!" He shouted. "All units retreat!"

He took off into the woods, keeping an ear out for the onix. The rest of the combat squad and some of their pokémon did the same. Others, sensing opportunity, ran from their beaten masters, becoming free once more.

Onix let out another earth shaking roar to hurry them along. Then the granite serpent turned to broke, concern evident on its face.

"Don't worry Onix," Brock said shakily. "I'm fine. I just need a minute. Where's Zubat?"

The blue flying pokémon landed on top of his head.

"Zubat are there any more groups advancing?"

Zubat leaned over Brock's forehead, head lining up with the trainer's squint, and shook his head.

"Are there any at the village?"

Zubat concentrated for a second and then squeaked. He furiously nodded his head.

"Arceus fuckin dammit! Onix, we need to go help Misty!"

* * *

><p>Misty was exhausted, outnumbered, and her opponents had their pokémon with them.<p>

A dagger tried to plunge into her stomach, but her armor stopped it. Instead she took what felt like a very hard jab. Her heel gouged the ground as she skidded back, only to be hit with a flying hatchet to the face. Her helmet shuddered and her head snapped back.

Her instincts screamed, and despite the two earlier blows, Misty forced herself to move. Wicked looking fangs from a raticate tore a strip of armor off of her shoulder. Had she not moved they would've sunk deep into her flesh.

A machop dashed in front of her, grabbed her arm, and then threw her away from the cabin. Grass and stars and grass and stars and grass flashed in front of her as she tumbled. She landed on her back, letting out an omph, forced herself to roll over. She needed to get up...

She looked up and saw a Rocket with a club standing over her. When did he get there? When did they get so fast?

She let out an eep as she scrambled backwards, club narrowly missing her head. The Rocket rushed forward and kicked her in the stomach while he brought his club back up.

White hot pain erupted around the area of impact. And it stayed there. Misty fell back down to the ground, dazed and out of breath, in terrible pain.

It was already too late. Earlier she had heard the sounds of human screams, cries, and the calls of surprised pokémon. Melanie and the hatchlings were long dead and gone.

Still she tried to get back up. There was no reason. Misty simply refused to quit. Nothing more. Nothing less.

The man with the club sneered as he stood over her and hefted his weapon up high. Misty slowly began to move a trench knife into position to block it. The Rocket let out a snort of derisive laughter.

And then he was gone.

For a moment Misty saw a grey shape with arms floating in front of her.

Onix roared, Geodude bellowed, and Brock charged silently. The three remaining Grunts were quickly overwhelmed, blood and guts splattered all over living stone and metal mace. The pokémon that were fighting Staryu, Starmie, and Bulbasaur took one look at the carnage and then turned tail and ran.

"You okay?" Brock asked Misty, kneeling beside her. He slung one of her arms over his shoulder and helped her to her feet.

"Misty? You there?" He asked concerned.

"Yeah. But... the cabin... a group..."

Dammit. They had failed.

_What! _Bulbasaur yelled as he felt his heart shatter. _No! Melanie!_

He had failed her. His best friend and he had failed her. And the hatchlings too.

Hot tears filled the eyes of the plant-type. Little oddish would be gone. She would be whipped, beaten, and broken by Rocket trainers, and then trained with the most brutal methods in order to become nothing more than a tool for those evil men. Or she would be given to the Rocket scientists, to whom ethics and empathy were a joke.

_Fuck it. Fuck it. Dammit. Dammit. Arceus damn mother fuckers! Give them back!_

A wild storm of painful emotions swirled inside of him. His insides felt like they had been thrashed with a running lawnmower even as red hot rage exploded from his mouth in the form of his shouted curses. Wild panic and dread ran through his legs like lightning, making him run to the cabin.

Honestly, he would have rather died during the battle and remain ignorant of their fates.

He knew what he would see. A nearly empty building, a couple of inner doors hanging forlornly off of their hinges, cooking and medical supplies strewn everywhere, a battered and bloody blue haired body staring lifelessly up at a blood stained ceiling...

Arceus no! Please Arceus...

Please...

Bulbasaur reached the door and ripped it open with a vine. He could hear voices.

"No, keep your feet flat. See, like this."

"Won't sitting like this make my feet fall asleep?"

"You'll need to be sitting like that then. By the way, did you hear the door open earlier?"

"Yeah, but Butterfree would've warned us if it was more Rockets. Can I have some tea now?"

_It's just Bulbasaur._

_Oh. I wonder how he did out there?_

Inside the cabin lay piles of sleeping men and pokémon. They occasionally twitched and mumbled as Bulbasaur walked over them. He didn't care. He was too busy staring at the sight at the end of the hallway.

Melanie sat at a low table, pouring tea into a cup. Behind the table were the hatchlings, talking excitedly among themselves, Pikachu keeping a watchful eye on them. They were all still alive. Bulbasaur looked at the other end of the table.

Sitting uncomfortably in a seiza and waiting for a cup of tea was Ash Ketchum.

No other human had made Bulbasaur happier than he was in that moment.

* * *

><p>Author Notes: One of the people I know IRL keeps giving me shit about the disclaimer at the top of every chapter.<p>

Next up will be a short wrap up chapter and then its on with the adventure.

Thanks to Selm for beta reading.

Please review.


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I do not own pokémon.

* * *

><p>Brock was both stone cold furious and immensely relieved. He didn't know whether to strangle the kid happily sipping tea or hug him.<p>

It had been incredibly stupid for Aaron to return to the village. What if Team Rocket had caught him on the way back? What if he had screwed up their plans? He could have been killed. Or captured, tortured, and turned.

But he was safe. And if he hadn't returned Melanie would be dead and the hatchlings would be dead. It was tough to be angry about that. No, actually it was pretty easy for some people, who would be upset that their plan failed and they had needed unasked for help, but Brock wasn't one of those people.

Still he and Aaron would be... having words... about his actions tonight. But it could wait. Everyone was tired. Plus he hadn't the heart to do it in front of Melanie and Bulbasaur.

Bulbasaur was crying into Melanie's side, vines wrapped around her in a grassy hug, and the blue haired girl was petting him with one hand and whispering comforting words to him. Her other hand was tending to the tea.

Misty hadn't come in yet. When she heard that Aaron was inside she had excused herself to wash off the blood and take off her armor. Brock on the other hand only took off his helmet. Melanie was no stranger to blood and death, she wouldn't mind. And Aaron shouldn't be excused from having to witness the ugly side of the affairs they had tried to keep him from.

The boy didn't blink at the gore splattered form of his friend. He set down his cup of tea and shifted his weight a bit, grimacing a bit in discomfort. He didn't seem used to formal sitting. Didn't his parent teach him? Or did they neglect things like that?

"Hey! Do you want some tea? Melanie makes tea good!" The boy said cheerfully.

"Is good at making tea," the pretty blue haired girl corrected.

"Oh," Aaron said, "Sorry. Melanie is good at making tea!"

Brock said nothing. He stepped into a seiza and sat down at the table. Melanie displayed excellent dexterity in pouring him a cup with only one hand. They gym leader calmly picked up the cup of the steaming liquid and took in the aroma of the tea.

"So how was the fight?" The boy from Pallet Town asked cheerfully. Brock's squint twitched.

"Aaron," Melanie scolded, "you're not supposed to ask about those things."

"Oh. Sorry," Aaron replied, blushing in embarrassment.

"It was fine," Brock answered struggling to keep his voice level. Must put off exploding until in private. Must put off exploding until in private. Must put off exploding until in private...

"I'm curious as to why you're here though," Brock said. "I thought we had agreed that you should go to the pokémon center."

The atmosphere was very similar to an angry parent waiting for a child to realize they've done wrong. Surprisingly Aaron didn't pick up on it.

"Errr... heh, heh, heh?" Aaron chuckled embarrassed. "Well I was headed back when something occurred to me..."

"What occurred to you?" Brock's teeth were gritted now.

"You okay?" Aaron asked noticing the gritting.

"Yes, now what occurred to you."

"Well, you know how fighting plans work best when you have things the enemy doesn't know about?" Aaron began.

"Yeesss," Brock replied through clenched teeth.

"Are you sure you're alright?"

"Get on with it already!"

"Sheesh. Alright, alright. Well, I figured that if plans for fighting work best when you have things that your enemies don't know about, wouldn't something you don't know you have make the plan work even better? So I snuck in the back and had Butterfree surprise a bunch of Rockets that were going to do bad things to Melanie with Sleep Poweder. And then I had Butterfree wait up near the ceiling and watch for people with his mind."

"Free!" the bug-type trilled. "Butter. Free. Free. Butterfree!"

"And then Melanie started making tea," Aaron finished. "What's Misty doing anyway?"

"Cleaning up. You know how some people can be," Brock said offhandly. "Aaron can we step outside for a bit?"

"Uh sure. But I think my feet are asleep," Aaron admitted. "I'm not used to sitting like this."

"Here I'll help you," Brock replied gently helping the trainer up. Melanie gave the two a worried glance but Brock shook his head, indicating that it wasn't her concern. She was probably too grateful to the young trainer to chew him out or let him get chewed out for what he did. She looked like she was about to rise but Bulbasaur's desperate embrace reminded her that there were other things to do. Brock helped Aaron outside the cabin. The gym leader made sure to close the doors behind them. The hatchlings didn't need to hear this. And Melanie and Bulbasaur should be left in peace.

Aaron collapsed against a wall, cursing his feet. Why should they get to sleep on the job? He noticed a figure down by the stream. It must be Misty, washing herself off.

"Now," Brock said dangerously, "why did you think it was it was a good idea to risk your life and the plan like that. You little idiot!"

"Huh?" Aaron was taken aback by Brock's shouting. He blinked in surprise.

"You could've gotten yourself killed! You could have messed up what we were doing! This isn't a game! I thought that I made that clear last time we talked!" Brock shouted.

"Yeah. I thought I said I didn't care about that last time," Ash responded. "And I stayed out of your way! I just helped Melanie a bit."

"You could have alerted the Rockets to our presence! And what do you mean you don't care! What about your parents? Your family? Your friends? Do you want to hurt them? Do you? Because that's what you were doing by coming back here and risking your life!" Brock was livid. Didn't this boy know why they had sent him away.

"None of them would complain," Ash shot back. "They all would've done the same thing." Poison Lance and the Ketchums would have done so. "In fact my friends did happen to do the same thing. They stayed and fought!"

"And we've got the training to do so!" Brock retorted. "You don't. What would've happened if the Rockets had captured you and held you hostage. How do you think the fight would've gone if they had shown Misty or I you held a knife-point?"

"That wouldn't happen."

"Oh. And if five Rockets jumped you, how would you stop them from capturing you?"

"I meant held hostage. If they had a knife to my throat and were trying to make you quit, I'd just slit it."

Brock's face went pale, very pale at Ash's last statement. The boy had said it with casual certainty, like he was discussing the weather. What was wrong with Aaron? Was he suicidal at such a young age?

Ash was confused by Brock's reaction. Did he violate some human taboo? Maybe you weren't supposed to talk about killing yourself. It struck the pokéraised boy as weird. If you were willing to risk your life to accomplish something, then shouldn't you be ready to sacrifice it as well? And if you were willing to talk about risking your life, then wouldn't you be willing to talk about sacrificing yourself.

He'd have to wait and see how people acted around the Self-Destruct move, especially if it was ever used to the fullest extent, where it killed the user instead of knocking them out. That could tell him what he was doing wrong here.

Poison Lance never mentioned this stuff to him. Didn't this come up during his travels with Luke? Or was it the whole cultural shifting thing? It would be annoying if he had to update his knowledge on humanity every decade.

"Aaron..." Brock began.

"What? I'd die to save the hatchlings and would die before something I did caused them to be hurt." Ash called Aaron said huffily. "If I had been stupid coming back, then that's what I'd do." Good grief. Maybe it was a good thing that humans couldn't learn moves. Anybody who learned Explosion or Self-Destruct would have to see a psychiatrist.

"Then wouldn't it have better to stay out of the battle?" Brock tried a different avenue of attack. Aaron's earlier line of reasoning was... well Brock hesitated to call it mature, but some might call it so. It would be a lot easier to say if, you know, Aaron wasn't talking about _killing himself _so casually.

"No. If I hadn't been there, Melanie would be dead!" Ash protested. "I'm a pokémon trainer! I'm supposed to help make the world a better place!" Like Lucas had done in all of Poison Lance's stories.

"You're a kid! You need training before you go risking your life like that!" Brock knew that he wasn't going to get through to Aaron. But that didn't mean he was going to quit yelling. He needed to make feel some guilt or regret about his actions. "You don't know anything about hand to hand combat, first aid, or how to handle yourself in a fight with lethal moves. You've got tactics, I'll give you that, but that's about it. You don't have the training to do this stuff!"

"Then train me!"

Both of them were silent for a bit, simply staring at each other. The faint sounds of Misty washing filled the background. After a moment Brock spoke.

"Fine."

* * *

><p>Orange light washed over the forest, dying the ground with the vivid colors of sunrise. The daystar had retaken its rightful place as ruler of the sky and had banished its lesser brethren. It turned its gaze downward, on the forest, spewing uncountable rays of light. They fell through the gaps in the leaves, the gaps in the branches, and through open windows in the village.<p>

Melanie sat, petting the sleeping Bulbasaur in her lap, and watched the sunrise. Her guardian had refused to leave her side after they had reunited when the battle was over. He had dropped the vine hug as he fell asleep and Melanie had then moved him to her lap.

It had been close. She had killed a couple Rockets who had managed to breach the defenses alone. Then someone tapped her on the shoulder, giving her a near heart attack. Fortunately it had been Aaron with his plans for an ambush. An ambush that had saved her and the hatchlings when a group of Rockets barged in. He and his pokémon had made short work of the attacks with some sort of Sleep Powder-telekinetic combination supported by electric attacks. No Rocket made it down the hallway.

If Aaron hadn't come... well, she could easily understand and relate to Bulbasaur's current behavior.

Poor Bulbasaur. Her poor, poor, guardian pokémon. How many evolutions had he turned down already? She knew that, from what she could make out, he was waiting to get Solar Beam, but that wasn't the whole story.

As an ivysaur he would require more food and other resources, something that would put more strain on the village. While they weren't currently taxed, they didn't have the greatest safety margin either. Having an ivysaur would make the margin paper thin.

The League reinforcements would be here soon. The hatchlings might be taken away and given to Barry Vaxsh's family or they would stay here. According to Brock, representatives from the League would be here to talk about the fate of the village. She would probably receive League support and funding, provided she agreed to help the League. Most likely they would ask her to expand the village to include a Ranger outpost or double as a pokémon center.

The village wouldn't need a guardian then. And Bulbasaur would probably move on to his next crusade. And he would keep doing so until he died.

No, Melanie swore silently to herself. She was going to put the plan she had come up with last night into action. Bulbasaur would go with Aaron. Now she just had to make it happen.

* * *

><p>Olaf Souh sighed as he sat down on a tree stump. Him, four other grunts, and their assorted pokémon lazed about the clearing, resting after the disastrous attack last night. His Grunt squad had happily gone untouched by the monstrous rock-type and hadn't made it to the village before the retreat signal had gone out.<p>

"So what's the word," another Grunt, Jake, asked. "Are we supposed to withdraw or regroup and await reinforcements?"

"No clue," Olaf replied. "I think they're trying to figure out who we ran into."

Jake shivered.

"Yeah. That's be nice to know. I'm going to be having nightmares about that onix for awhile."

Olaf snorted.

"Ain't that the truth."

"Should we get moving again?" Another Grunt asked. "They might be looking for us."

"Nah, there was only two of them," Olaf replied. "And I don't know how they knew we'd be attackin, but there are other groups they'd be worrin about first. Like what's left of Combat Team for one. No one's going to be botherin us here."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that now, gentlemen." All five Rockets and their pokémon jumped at the voice. Olaf whipped his head around so fast to look at the source that he was afraid he might've snapped something.

It was a man in a brown leather duster and a brown cowboy hat. He was lying down in a cradle made by the natural formation of fallen large branches and small trees. His hat was covering his face, as if he had decided to lie down and take a nap. Bits of dirty blonde hair peeked out from under the hat. Beside him a mightyena was lying down, with a kirlia lounging on top of it.

"Y-y-y-you!" Olaf stammered. "Y-y-y-you're the W-w-w"

"Wandering Ranger. That's right." The lone Pokémon Ranger said. "Now..." The mightyena stood up and the kirlia shifted into riding position. "Are we going to do this the easy way?"

Something nicked Olaf's ear and hit a tree behind him with a twang.

"Or are we going to do this the hard way?" Olaf looked into the brown eyes of the Ranger. Then he looked at the two crossbows in the Ranger's hands.

"Get him!" Olaf shouted in his panic.

For a few seconds the sound of screaming filled the forest. And then it was quiet.

"No paperwork," the Wandering Ranger commented, looking at the bodies of the dead humans and unconscious pokémon. "I love it when they choose the easy way."

* * *

><p>Ash, his pokémon, minus Pidgeotto who hadn't returned yet, his friends, Melanie, and Bulbasaur lounged around the clearing, having a noon day meal. The humans all had bags under their eyes, none of them had gotten enough, or in some cases any, sleep. Brock had continued his lecture after agreeing to train Aaron. When Misty had finished washing, they had all gone to bed, sleeping on various bits of furniture and the floor.<p>

Brock kept shooting dark looks at Aaron from where he sat, eating an onigiri. Aaron was busy making sure that his pokémon had enough food. Misty was sitting next to Brock, happily chowing down on her food.

"And I thought he was overprotective," Misty commented between mouthfuls. Brock turned his angry gaze to her.

"And what's that supposed to mean," the former gym leader demanded.

"It's the way you're still mad about what he did," the red haired girl replied. "You're being overprotective."

"He could have screwed everything up!" Brock harshly retorted, keeping his voice down. "You should be upset with him too!"

"But he didn't screw anything up. In fact he saved everything." Misty said. "That's why I'm not really mad at him. And you're not still mad at him for that. You're mad because he risked his life while you were trying to protect him. My sisters got the same way sometimes with gym trainers who risked themselves during operations."

"And why aren't you still mad at him for risking his life!" Brock growled.

"Cause he saved Melanie and the hatchlings. Cause he minimized the risks. Cause he didn't get hurt. Cause I still feel like I owe him one. And because I know he can handle himself." Misty replied, shrugging. "He was able to fight off a rabid flock of spearows and a strong fearow. Plus he's got good wilderness skills."

Brock glared at her. The red head smirked in return.

"Let it go. All I'm saying is, you already yelled at him. No need to be angry with him anymore today. Save it for next time."

"Next time?"

"Good point. We shouldn't be running into anything else like this."

Brock took a deep breath. He might've closed his eyes as well, it was impossible to tell. He reflected on his emotions. Yes, he really wasn't mad about the risk to the plans; he had seen enough to know that no plan survives contact with the enemy. Plenty of gym operations had ended with either him or a gym trainer improvising. He really was mad about Aaron risking himself.

No. That wasn't right. That was just part of it.

He was mad at himself. Mad because Melanie and the hatchlings had almost died. Mad because Aaron had needed to risk his neck to save them. Mad because if fate hadn't been smiling on them Aaron would've died and it would've been all his fault.

Mad because his failure meant that Aaron would continue to take risks in the future.

The gym leader sighed.

A little bit later, while everyone was quietly eating, Melanie spoke up.

"So, what are your plans after this?" She asked the group.

"Well we're going on to Vermillion City so I can get a badge," Ash replied, "and after that I don't know. Why?"

"Well... I'd like to ask you a favor."

"Sure, what?"

"There's this... troublesome thing that I care greatly about that needs taking care of. I'd like to keep it here, but with the changes coming to the village, I don't think that'll work."

"Huh?"

"You see this thing is very dear to my heart. And I'm very grateful to it. But I know too much about it to believe for one second that it would stay here in the indefinite future."

Bulbasaur's ears perked up and he turned his attention away from his food and to Melanie. He had a suspicion as to where this was leading.

"You see, this thing is great for guarding and is very loyal. But this village is too small for it to grow properly and with the League coming it won't be needed to help protect the village. And I know that it would eventually wander off again, like it had been doing before it came here. So could you please take it with you on your journey?"

"Sure," Ash said happily. "What is it?"

"It's Bulbasaur you twit!" Misty shouted, chucking a crumpled ball of food wrappings at his head, hitting him right between the eyes.

_Melanie, _Bulbasaur said in a pleading tone, looking up at his best friend.

"Bulbasaur this village is too small for your bulb to grow," Melanie replied. "And you won't be staying here much longer before you get the urge to continue your journey. I want you to be happy and safe. That's why I think you should go with Aaron. If you're with him then you can't be captured by cruel or evil trainers. He can keep you safe from other humans and help you grow stronger. With him, you won't have to put off anymore evolutions."

She had his number, Bulbasaur admitted to himself. Or what it had been before last night. Now, after the shock he had received, he wasn't so sure. He just didn't want to lose her again.

_Please don't make me go, _he pleaded.

"Bulbasaur," she said smiling as tears started to well up in her eyes. "You know I can't understand you."

"I don't think he wants to leave you," Ash said hesitantly.

"I know. Bulbasaur, you're welcome in the village anytime. And you can stay if you want. But I know that won't work out. And you know it too. You can always return if you go with Aaron, but I'm not sure there'll be another chance like this."

Bulbasaur looked at her for a moment. He looked at Ash. He looked at the village. His eyes closed as he thought about it all.

_Only if he can beat me, _he replied, opening his eyes. Remembering that most of the humans couldn't understand him and the one who could pretended he didn't, he made 'come at me' motions with his vines.

"I think he wants a fight," Ash replied eagerly. Melanie smiled and patted Bulbasaur's head.

"Thank you," she said to the plant-type.

Bulbasaur jerked his head towards the woods and then started walking off into them. Ash and his pokémon followed.

* * *

><p><em>Human- No, Ash. <em>Bulbasaur began. _Words cannot express my gratitude for your actions last night. If it hadn't been for you, then it ain't likely that Melanie would still be alive._

_I'm glad to be of assistance. But I couldn't have lived with myself if I had let anyone get hurt. _The pokéraised child replied.

_But don't think that means I'm just going to go with you. You've got some talent, true. But Melanie wants me to go with you because she thinks you'll help me get stronger and keep other humans from me. If you're not good enough to beat me then you can't help me get stronger._

Ash blinked. For a second he thought Bulbasaur's last sentence didn't make sense. You didn't need to be able to beat someone to help them get stronger. But then he realized that it made perfect sense. Hanging around humans had made him forget how it worked.

_Alright! You're on!_

_And not just any old battle. I'm going to be attacking you along with your pokémon. I'm not going to try and kill you, but I am going to use lethal attacks._

_Fine. Give us a minute to prepare. Butterfree, you sit this one out._

_Alright Ash, _the butterfly pokémon responded. _Could you put me in my pokéball so I don't caught in the crossfire. _The answer to the bug-types question was a beam of red light.

_Wait, what? _Bulbasuar tilted his head in confusion. _Why isn't Butterfree fighting?_

_Cause it wouldn't be fair. And how am I supposed to help you get stronger if I need two pokémon at once to beat you?_

_I was thinking that I'd pick up tactics and long-term planning off you. I've managed to learn some on my own, no easy feat for a pokémon, but you seem to have a knack for it._

_Besides, _Pikachu said, smirking and cheeks sparking. _He doesn't need more than me to beat you. Ready to fry plant?_

_Oh, bring it rodent!_

_Wait! Can I have a minute to plan?_

_Since you don't have Butterfree, fine. One minute. I'll start counting once you get behind that tree._

Ash and Pikachu darted behind the tree Bulbasaur had indicated.

_So what's the plan idiot?__Cause if it was only me fighting him it could go either way, but me having to worry about you is going to cost me._

_Give me a quick rundown of the fight you would've had._

_He would move whenever I had a second to concentrate so I couldn't hit him with an electric attack and I'd use my speed to keep him or his vines from getting close._

_You can fire off electric attacks extremely quickly though._

_Yeah, but he could shrug those off. Electric attacks aren't very effective. And I need a fraction of a second longer to aim stronger attacks, something he won't give me._

_Ten seconds!_

_He's not trying to kill __me... I know what he's going to do. Pikachu, make sure to follow my orders without question okay?_

_Fine. Time to go!_

_We're starting! _Bulbasaur shouted. Accompanying his words was a burst of Razor Leaves, slicing branches off the tree above them.

_Pikachu Speed Burst! _Ash ordered. Speed Burst the Agility and Quick Attack dodge combination. Using an unique name left people ignorant of the true nature of Pikachu's actions. To them it simply appeared that he had received a boost in speed, like with Agility, but an unstable one that peaked above Agility's limits.

Pikachu blurred and disappeared from sight. Bulbasaur sighed and whipped his vines behind him. His eyes widened in surprise when they met nothing and he jumped forward.

Pikachu dropped out of the sky, slamming into the ground, leaving deep prints in the soft earth. He cursed and then jumped out of the way as Bulbasaur turned around and retaliated. A storm of Razor Leaves swept through the area, gouging earth and trees. Pikachu dodged backwards, taking cover behind a tree.

_Plkachu use Thunder! _Ash called out from behind another tree. He was also taking cover to avoid being caught in Bulbasaur's attacks and switching from tree to tree constantly so Bulbasaur would have to look for him.

Bulbasaur waited for Pikachu to come out from behind the tree. He was planning on feinting forward movement the moment he saw the electric type and then hitting him with another burst of Razor Leaves while Pikachu was standing still during the Thunder attack. What he wasn't expecting was a flash of yellow light and a column of electricity hitting just to left.

_Dammit! _Pikachu swore. He had mastered the 'curve Thunder around the tree' bit. Now he had to master the 'hit the target on the other side' bit. He wouldn't have used it at all if Ash hadn't told him to. He was wasting energy. What was his trainer playing at?

_Pikachu Electric Rain! _Another combination. Using Agility Pikachu would get up high and use several consecutive Thundershocks, scattering a shower of minor bolts of electricity below him.

Bulbasaur cut loose with another storm of Razor Leaves as soon as he saw Pikachu's shadow. He made it look good, if he was lucky he might actually get a hit. It depended on what Electric Rain was. But it was just a feint. He wanted Pikachu busy so he could attack Ash. The electric type had proven stronger than he had first guessed, if Ash was willing to have him waste energy with the inaccurate Thunder. And he probably had several more surprises like the 'Thunder around a tree' thing.

Oh shit. That's what Electric Rain was. A storm of leaves met a storm of bolts and the leaves were turned into crisps. Bulbasaur himself was able to shrug off the electricity that hit him, thanks to his type advantage, but if Pikachu and Ash were willing to burn energy like this then he was probably outmatched. Time to strike at their weakness.

He ignored the descending Pikachu in favor of firing off yet another Razor Leaf attack. This time he sent two streams of leaves out, one on either side of the tree Ash was behind, trapping him there. The plant-type then charged around the tree, vines ready to catch the human. But the cap wearing boy jumped over the pokémon, catching him by surprise, and started to sprint towards another tree.

Not fast enough. Bulbasaur's vines wrapped around him, pinning his arms to his torso and lifting him off the ground. Pikachu started to run towards the two.

_Halt mouse, _Bulbasaur shouted. _It's my win. I can dodge any of your attacks and take him out at any time. Just surrender you two. _He waited for their reply. If they refused, he would just knock Ash out. Pikachu could beat him, but he couldn't catch him.

He wasn't expecting Ash to grin.

_Pikachu, Barrage on me and then the vines!_ The human ordered his pokémon. Bulbasaur started in surprise as his captive called down an attack on himself.

Pikachu had agreed to follow Ash's orders without question. Barrage wasn't even an attack, it was a training exercise, inspired by Pikachu's demonstration on their first day together. It was an extremely fast series of small electric shocks. When he had used it during spars with Pidgeotto and Butterfree it hadn't done much damage, which was the point, but it evidently hurt like a bitch.

Electricity hit Ash and then coursed through him and then into Bulbasaur's vines. The plant-type twitched in pain and surprise. Immediately after another one hit. And another. And another. Bulbasaur instinctively let go of Ash and stumbled back, away from the source of the stinging sensations. Ash fell to the ground.

Ash had been anticipating the attack. Bulbasaur hadn't. That was why Ash was able to recover first. He grabbed Bulbasaur's vines and heaved with all of his strength.

Bulbasaur was strong. But, counter-intuitively, he wasn't heavy. Pokémon were weird like that.

And that was the only reason his plan had a chance of working.

_Pull! _Ash cried as he threw the plant-type up in the air before it could react. _Pikachu_ _u__se Thunder!_

Bulbasaur was helpless, both startled and in the air, and thus was unable to avoid the attack. Yellow light enveloped the clearing as Pikachu fried Bulbasaur with the strongest attack he could use on a sunny day. The plant-type fell to the ground, singed and smoking, hitting it head first.

_Thunderbolts! _Ash commanded. Pikachu began to throw bolt after bolt at Bulbasaur, hammering his way through Bulbasaur's type advantage. Bulbasaur tried to stand up under the assault, but each bolt forced him back down. Finally he didn't try and get up and the next bolt knocked him onto his bulb.

Ash immediately threw a pokéball. The sphere hit Bulbasaur and converted him to red light, greedily sucking up the plant-type pokémon in his new form and then snapping shut. Its button glowed red and the ball itself rocked for a few second. And then it was still.

_We did it. We beat Bulbasaur! And I caught him!_

_I can live with you putting it like that idiot. Why'd you have me waste so much energy earlier._

_To put some pressure on him so he'd attack our weakness sooner. Since he wasn't going try and kill me I knew that'd he'd most likely trap me with Vine Whip. Glad I was right._

_Makes sense. By the way..._

_What is it? _Ash asked.

_You're never doing anything like that again, got it?_

_Can't make any promises._

Pikachu sighed.

_You really are an idiot._

* * *

><p>Ash and Pikachu walked out of the forest to find that that another group had arrived at the village. Evidently there had been a group of Rangers relatively close by and they had come as soon as they had received their orders. Of course, relatively close for a Ranger had an entirely different meaning then it did for normal folks.<p>

There were six of them in total, all wearing brown canvas longcoats. They were sitting, leaning, and standing all around the small village, some playing with the pokémon from the village, others talking to the other humans.

"... and there's one more coming, but he wanted to check somethings out first," Ash heard one of them say as he came nearer. He guessed it was the guy in charge, who was talking to Melanie and Brock.

"Good. You think you could hold the village against an attack like last night's?" Brock asked.

"Of course. We six may not have the raw power you lot had, but we've got better numbers. And there'll be more League people coming."

"What about the seventh?" Melanie asked.

"What about the seventh," the Ranger replied with a smirk.

"Rangers," Brock muttered. He might have rolled his eyes, no one could tell.

"Hey, don't be bad mouthin us when we're here to guard your pretty lady for you," the Ranger replied.

"She's not- Look- I mean- Melanie's- Oh just shut up." Brock was blushing. Melanie was giggling. She stopped when she noticed Ash returning.

"Aaron! How'd it go." She asked the boy.

Ash grinned and held up the pokéball that had Bulbasaur.

"Was anyone injured in the fight?" Melanie asked. "I should probably treat your injuries now. When are you planning to leave?"

"How bout in two days," Aaron suggested. "Does that work Brock?"

"Yeah, that should be fine. Plenty of time to recover and say our goodbyes."

"Bet you aren't looking forward to saying goodbye to your pretty lady friend, now aren't ya," the Ranger drawled.

Ash sighed as Brock began to stutter and deny. Why did his species have to be so weird?

* * *

><p>Unlike last night the moon was not full. Not that Vincent Yamamoto noticed. The Rocket commander was too busy nursing his injured hand and leading the remnants of his command. It was a pitiful looking sight. Wounded Grunts and combat operatives supporting each other as they made their way through the forest, pokémon mixed in their ranks.<p>

Vincent thought he saw blue and white light off in the distance, the sort you'd get from an electronic screen or projector of some sort. Using some hand signs, he signaled his men to change directions and follow him.

It wasn't fair, the Rocket commander thought to himself. All of his hard work, clawing his way up the chain of command, everything he had done for Team Rocket was all for nothing now. By fuckin coincidence. There was no way those two trainers had been at the village before the attack, they could not have arrived before yesterday! If it hadn't been for them the operation would have been a success and Vincent would've returned triumphantly with the hatchlings and had another promotion waiting for him. Dammit it all.

He could hear sounds now. It sounded like a movie. Who would be watching a movie out here in the wilderness.

Vincent entered the clearing where the screen was set up, his men forming ranks behind him, the fit and healthy ones directly behind him and ready for a fight. Their pokémon followed suit.

In the clearing there were two humans and three pokémon, an ekans, koffing, and meowth. They had set up some speakers, a projector, a dvd player, and a couple of chairs. From the light of the projector he could make out the features of the two humans. There was a purple haired man and a red haired woman and they were wearing what looked like... Rocket uniforms.

Oh Arceus damn motherfucking hell. Just what he needed. To run into the fuckin Crazies.

"What are you fuckers doing here," Vincent spat. The movie viewers turned to look at him. James reached out and hit the pause button.

"It's Friday night," James said, as if that explained everything.

"Movie night," Jessie continued for him. "It's tradition."

"We ran into a bit of trouble down in Cerulean while in the Saffron building. We nearly forgot about it. We had to hurry up and steal all this before midnight." Meowth finished.

"Shut up pokémon. Don't dirty our language with your tongue!" Vincent shouted.

"Don't speak to Meowth like that," James protested, half rising from his seat. Jessie did the same, and Ekans and Koffing were focused on the newcomers.

"Shut up! You're disgusting, going around with that abomination of yours, treating it like its human. Treating it like it's a friend. You fuckin degenerate losers!" Vincent took a swing at James with his good hand.

Jessie broke his arm before it connected. She had moved so fast that it was simply fact to any human watching. There was no, 'got up', 'grabbed' his arm', or 'twisted' facts in between Vincent taking a swing and Jessie breaking his arm to any human observer.

Vincent fell to the ground, writhing in pain.

"Now that's not very nice," she scolded. "Now you should-"

Jessie didn't finish her sentence before a spray of Acid splattered all over Vincent's face.

"Don't you think about touching them!" Meowth shouted, clawing gleaming in the moonlight. He leapt at the other group of Rockets. Ekans and Koffing followed suit.

It took ten seconds. Ten seconds of screaming and flailing. Ten seconds before all the other Rockets were dead.

Jessie and James looked at each other and shrugged. For some reason their pokémon could be so overprotective.

"I was going to let him apologize," Jessie told the pokémon. "Meh. Let's finish the movie."

The two humans and the blood stained pokémon sat down to finish their Friday night movie.

* * *

><p>Author's Notes: It's a bit longer than I expected and took longer to write.<p>

Then DocX screwed me and Selm over. I'd like to thank Selm for beta reading.

Brock's would've had an easier time lecturing Ash if he was dealing with a human reared child.

Read the Tvtropes page for 'Sun Soul'. It was odd seeing what little details this story and that story had in common. Didn't read it though. No need to go get myself jealous of a more productive writer.

To everyone who was surprised from the direction the last chapter took, I'm just going to mention that the first chapter contained references to double homicide, contained an actual kidnapping attempt, murder, mass killing in self defense, and arguably a successful kidnapping performed by Poison Lance. Chapter six contained violent flashbacks.

I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed the last chapter. Especially those of you who left detailed reviews. And a special mention to LittleKing9512 for reviewing each chapter as he read them.

I got enough reviews last time so I'm not going to threaten to kill off your favorite character if you don't leave a review. And I mean you, yes you. No, don't look over your shoulder. It's you I'm talking to. Don't think I wouldn't do kill them off. Delia Ketchum was one of my favorite characters and I killed her right off the bat.

But I got enough reviews last time so I'll just settle for asking for reviews for now.

Don't worry about the Wandering Ranger OC. He'll only have bit parts. He's mainly in this fic for world building purposes.

Changing the order of the charamander and squirtle parts.


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I do not own pokémon.

Author's Note: Changed the order of the Squirtle and Charamander incidents. I had them mixed up when I was planning out this part of the fic and the order doesn't really matter, I'm sticking to what I had planned.

* * *

><p>A terrified squirtle scampered through the forest. He stumbled in his haste as he climbed, dashed, and leapt over fallen trees, ridges, and rocky inclines. His shell clattered against each obstacle, signalling his position to his pursuer. Not that the pursuer needed such hints.<p>

Snorlax was hungry, there was no way this blue treat would escape. The large normal-type was relentless in his pursuit. He was hungry for meat tonight and nothing would stop him from getting some.

Not the trees which he smashed in his haste, not the boulders he knocked out of the way, not the terrain he crushed under his feet. The insatiable hunger of the sleepy pokémon overrode all over concerns. It was a terrifying thing to behold.

Nothing intruded on his attention, not even the presence of more pokémon.

At least until a water propelled shell bonked him right between the eyes. The huge pokémon staggered backwards and the shell flipped off of him and was revealed to be another squirtle as it extended its limbs out to land.

The squirtle that had been being chased stopped and stared at the squirtle that had come to his aid. And then he gaped.

_Why are you wearing sunglasses at night? _He asked of his would-be savior, indicating the pair of angular and sharp looking sunglasses adorning his face.

_Cause I'm cool enough to pull it off! _The new squirtle replied. _I'm Squirtle and I'll be here to show you how to deal with louts like this one! _

_Hungry! Food! More food! _The snorlax cried out, starting to lumber towards the two squirtles.

_Stuff it up your other hole! _Squirtle shouted. _Last chance to get out of here! _

Snorlax ignored the warning and continued to lumber onward.

_You asked for it! Now boys and gals! _At his signal several more squirtles, wearing round sunglasses, jumped out of their hiding spots. Several were holding ends of rope, keeping the lengths loose as they ran forward. They ran by either side of the startled snorlax, who was still lumbering towards the Squirtle and the squirtle it was originally going to eat, and then tied the ends around trees and rocks before the ropes went taut.

Snorlax stumbled, but his mass was too great to be stopped by such measures. Trees wee torn down and uprooted. Rocks were pulled out of their earthen hollows and pulled along. The snorlax dragged the train of debris behind him as he recovered his stride.

Squirtle took the opportunity to withdraw into his shell and use a water attack to launch himself at the snorlax once again. Shell met skull, and Squirtle bounced up. Snorlax put both hands to his head and moaned in pain. He glared up at the descending squirtle only to be hit with a powerful Water Gun right in the face.

_Eyes! Hurt! _The black and tan pokémon shouted.

_Squirtle Squad, shell him high! _Squirtle shouted.

Water propelled shells slammed into snorlax's head and upper body, thudding into fat and bone. Squirtles bounced off, arcing upward.

_Squirtle Squad Squirt! _Jets of water impacted the face of the snorlax, their combined might far greater than that of a fire hose. The massive pokémon flailed wildly, vainly trying to defend itself from the aqueous onslaught. It tipped over, falling to the forest floor with a great crash. It didn't move again.

_Is it dead? _The squirtle that the snorlax had been chasing asked.

_Of course not, _snorted Squirtle. _It would take much more than that to kill a snorlax. He's just asleep. Besides, we wouldn't kill a pokémon for being hungry. _

_Oh. Thanks for saving me! _

_Don't mention it, _Squirtle replied. _The Squirtle Squad looks after all our brothers and sisters kid. Wanna join? _

* * *

><p>Great white masses of clouds filled the sky, leaving patches of pure blue and a shining sun. The air was still and humid but not unbearable. It wasn't a great day for Brock, Misty, and Ash Ketchum to be traveling, but it could have been much worse. The three were walking along in comfortable silence, Misty and Brock in front, and Ash hurrying to keep up, leaning on his walking stick.<p>

The training with Brock was exhausting. It was a good thing that he'd already been training himself on the journey earlier, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to move. Or maybe Brock would have started out slower. One of the two. In any case, Ash had started carrying around a staff/walking stick. He found it surprisingly comfortable as well useful. There was just something about having the mass of the wood in his hands that Ash liked.

He'd have to carve it sometime. And more after this one broke.

Course he'd need to learn how to carve first? Maybe he could ask Brock if he knew how?

But then again he was already teaching him a lot. Some basic martial arts, the sort that the mandatory League classes would have had taught him, basic tactics, League protocols, strength and endurance training, and much more. Brock had been cheerily sadistic, stating that Aaron had asked for this each time Ash made some sort of sound of pain. Ash never complained though. He needed the training.

And his pokémon would've never let him live it down if he did complain.

They liked to take breaks, sit on the sidelines, and taunt Ash whenever they could. Evidently Brock wasn't the only sadist that he knew. Well he'd have to find new training routines of his own to torment them with. Especially since Pikachu had finally gotten the hang of the control exercise. Next time there was some rain or a storm he'd have to let him try and call down lightning again. But in the mean time... speed exercises, that's what! Pikachu was already was pretty quick, for his level and for the pokémon they had encountered thus far, but nowhere near as quick as top level pokémon. And endurance training would be a nice complement to the speed training, his current moveset and Ash's strategies tended to burn a lot of energy.

Pidgeotto needed general training, increasing qualities such as speed, strength, agility and the like. Butterfree needed to work on his psychic powers some more. And Bulbasaur... there was a bit of a problem there.

Ash and Bulbasaur had different ideas about training. Bulbasaur personally preferred to stick to the moves he learned naturally, such as Vine Whip and Razor Leaf, and focus his training on attribute boosting and things like tactics. Ash liked to come up with new ways to use moves in order to create a new attack, such as Pidgeotto's Sand-Screen. They never fought, but there was a lot of back and forth as the two tried to decide what to do for training. It could get frustrating, not that Ash would ever complain. It was the price of having Bulbasaur and it was well worth paying.

A couple of flying type pokémon passed overhead, two large spearows and a much smaller one, probably their child. They caught Ash and Misty's attention. The red haired trainer slapped her forehead.

"Almost forgot!" She exclaimed. "Didya find out what happened with Melanie and the hatchlings at the last pokémon center?" The question was directed to Brock.

"Vaxsh's family decided to give Melanie custody of the remaining hatchlings," Brock answered.

"Remaining?" The Cerulean city gym trainer asked the Pewter City gym leader.

"Didn't I tell you? Team Rocket got some in the initial raid and Melanie got the ones that escaped."

"That's horrible," Misty gasped. She had thought that they had saved all of Vaxsh's hatchlings. "Is there any hope for the others?"

"Only if we discover the League traitor and the main Rocket hideouts," Brock replied. "But then we could rescue all the pokémon the Rockets stole."

"And put the traitor's head on a spike," Misty growled. Brock glanced back at Aaron. He didn't seem to be paying attention to their conversation. He stepped closer to Misty.

"You okay?" He asked her quietly. She looked at him quizzically.

"Of course," Misty answered. "Why do you ask?"

"Last comment was a little bloodthirsty."

"I didn't mean we should literally put his head on a spike," she protested, "that was an exaggeration."

Brock gave her a look.

"Really. I just want to beat him into a bloody pulp."

"Actually that's a pretty healthy urge," Brock admitted. "But the League would probably have to throw a tournament to decide who gets to punish him. Unless the Elite Four or the Rangers get their hands on them first."

"Bullshit. Public caning, whipping, flogging, the whole nine yards, everyone gets a turn."

"Who you guys talking about?" Aaron asked, picking up his pace a little bit.

"The League traitor," Brock replied.

"The who?"

"You don't know about the League traitor? Guess it might not be common knowledge to people outside the League." Misty said.

"Evidence from Rocket behavior and from captured hideouts indicates that a high ranking member of the League is actively assisting Team Rocket," Brock explained. "It's someone who's a gym leader or higher. But all possible suspects check out. They wouldn't get those positions if they weren't trustworthy. "

"Whoever it is, the League traitor is the most hated person in Kanto," Misty stated, "or at least the most hated by the Kanto League."

"Oh." There nothing else to say.

"I always wondered if it's Giovanni," Misty commented, tapping her chin. "That man rubs me the wrong way."

"Giovanni? Nah, couldn't be him. Too busy looking for his kid." Brock replied. "During my more resentful days I thought it was my dad."

"Anyway, how far are we from Vermilion City?" Misty asked.

"Still got a ways to go," Aaron answered, picturing the map in his head.

Honestly he was a good navigator... for the most part. He had been anxious the night before he started his journey, and the Viridian Forest thing was that stupid samurai's fault. After living most of his life in the wild he'd have to be.

City folk like Brock and Misty on the other hand...

Well, he wouldn't protest when they tried to make navigational decisions. He wasn't in any hurry and detours meant meeting new people and pokémon. Ash merely wished that they didn't argue about it constantly when they got the group lost.

"I never realized Kanto was so big," Brock said wistfully, taking in the landscape around them. "I mean intellectually I knew, but walking it... that changes things."

"Know what you mean," Misty commented. "I had only left Cerulean in vehicles before I started my journey. Hiking to Pallet was eye opening."

Ash suppressed the first thought that popped into his head.

No. Not thinking it.

It was almost-

No! Shut up mind!

_You could even say it was 'eye-catching_', Pikachu joked from his place on Ash's head.

Dammit Pikachu.

It was due to his annoyance, Brock and Misty being engaged in their conversation, and Pikachu being busy making smart remarks, that none of them noticed the tell tale signs of a pitfall trap. Brock and Misty had had the training, Ash was forced to learn about traps, both from his experiences in the wild and from Lucas's pokémon.

Ash let out a yelp of what sounded like gibberish to Brock and Misty. Pikachu heard differently as they tumbled into the pit.

_Arceus damn, cunt mothering fuckers, shit eating, bastards of bitches-_

_Language young- ouch! _

The group landed in a tangled heap of bodies.

"Watch your hands! Quit touching me in weird places!"

"Brock, I'm not touching you anywhere!" Misty protested. "And neither is Aaron!"

It was true. She was curled up on all fours under Aaron's back. And over his arm. And beside his head.

"I'm not touchin you either!" Aaron protested from his extremely awkward position.

_So that's who I fell on!_

With a bit of arguing, pushing, name calling, language too nasty to be recorded, and luck, they managed to untangle themselves and climb out of the pit.

"Who the hell dug this?" Misty complained, taking Brock's hand and climbing out of the hole.

"Menaces. That's who," Brock answered. He helped Ash out of the pit next.

_When I get my hands on them... _Pikachu growled, leaping off of Ash, his arms pinwheeling angrily.

_What'll you do sap? _A new voice called out. Everyone looked down the road.

_Where the hell did they get those shades? _Pikachu asked the world. _I wanted shades like that. They'd be perfect for kaiju fighting!_

Ash did agree that it was weird seeing pokémon, in this case squirtles, wearing sunglasses, but he was wearing clothes stolen by pokémon. Pokémon having human things wasn't as unusual as Pikachu was making it out to be.

_Well, you're not cool enough to have them, _the squirtle with the angular sunglasses said.

_Says who! _

_Says the pit you just fell into. Nice language by the way. Cunt mothering... hah! _

The other squirtles started laughing and pointing at the group.

"I think we found our culprits," Misty stated, reaching for a pokéball. "Who wants to do the honors?"

"Thundershocked!" Aaron ordered. Immediately the squirtles scattered, diving out of the way. But no electric attacks blasted the area they had been standing in. They looked at Pikachu, confused.

_It's a delayed attack, _Pikachu explained, blasting them all with yellow tendrils of electric power. _Thanks for stopping by the way. _

Both Ash and Pikachu had gotten annoyed with the way enemies tended to dodge the instant an electric attack was ordered, instead of taking it like _real _pokémon or _real _men (or women). So they decided saying Thundershocked instead of Thundershock would be a nice way to trick them.

Evidently it was successful. And it was so satisfying, seeing all those formerly smug squirtles now singed and smoking.

_You win this one oh foul mouthed Pikachu! But I, Squirtle, leader of the Squirtle Squad, declare that this isn't over! _Squirtle shouted. _Squad retreat! _

_That wasn't me swearing, _Pikachu called out to the shells receding in the distance. _It was this idiot, _he finished, gesturing to Ash.

_Yeah right,_ Squirtle returned scornfully, before the squad was lost in their own dust cloud.

"Well that was entertaining," commented Brock. "It's not often one runs into a gang of delinquent pokémon."

"Mildly delinquent," Misty corrected. "Squirtles are noted for being relatively light hearted, even in the wild," the water-type trainer explained, "so I doubt they would engage in most delinquent activities. I'm guessing they mostly do pranks and minor theft."

"I wonder if they're a local problem or a nomadic one," pondered Brock.

"What's that sound?" Ash asked, cocking his head. It was puttering, growling, purring sound, getting louder and louder.

"I'm pretty sure that's a motorcycle," answered the former Pewter City gym leader.

As it got louder Ash also recognized the sound. He had heard it in Viridian City when he had ridden with Officer Jenny... who seemed to have transferred up here. Hopefully. Only one way to find out...

"Officer Jenny!" Ash called out, waving. The green haired police officer adjusted course and skidded to a stop, inches away from them. A good sign...

"Whatcha doing up here?" Aaron asked the officer. "I thought you were stationed in Viridian City?"

"Nah, that's my cousin," came the reply from the rider.

Dammit! That's what he had been afraid of. Another thing like the damn Nurse Joy situation. Why was his species so frickin weird!

* * *

><p>"So what should we do today?" Meowth asked, folding the map he had been looking at. The next pokémon center was a little ways away and the twerp still hadn't checked in yet. Meowth had politely suggestedasked James to hack into the videophone communication system at the pokémon centers to help keep track of the twerp. So what if they were heavily protected by the latest in cyber-security? James had found a couple exploits and slipped in two worms during lunch the day Meowth had suggested it.

Thanks to Jame's programs, every time Ash/Aaron made a call, Jame's equipment was notified and the information about the twerp's current pokémon center was sent to them. They thought it would give them the occasional lead when they lost track of the kid. The Rocket Trio didn't expect for him to make a call every time he stopped at a center.

Maybe he was keeping in touch with his mother? Jessie thought it that would be sweet of the twerp and that they should convince the boss to have a "Bring Your Family to Work" day so Ash/Aaron could bring her to meet them after he was recruited.

"Well James needs to work on his hand to hand," Jessie said, leaning back against a tree and looking at the local police station down the hill and on the other side of the road. It was always a good idea to keep an eye on the coppers when you could. "So we could do some sparring. Unless you guys have something you want to do..."

_I'm fine, _Ekans said from his place draped over Jessie shoulders.

_I can't think of anything, _Koffing answered from over Jame's head, watching his trainer fiddle with something electronic.

Meowth relayed their replies.

"But I wanted to see if I couldn't figure out a way to hack the pokémon center registries," James whined. "That way we don't need to rely on the twerp calling."

"You can do that any old time," Jessie told him in a scolding tone. "But you could get beaten in the next fight you're in, all they have you on the ground, drawing on your face and taunting you..."

"Alright, alright," James gave in, getting up. He looked up from his electronics and then something caught his eye. Down by the police station was a very familiar boy. "Well look who we have here."

"Oh, it's the twerp! Fancy running into him here. Now we can snatch him right under the nose of the police! Heh-heh-ha! Stupid good guys. Won't know what hit them." Jessie was rubbing her hands together and cackling evilly.

"Should we have lunch before or... hey! Where'd the sacks go?" Meowth looked around. They'd been here a second ago...

And now they were in the hands/paws/claws/appendages/synonym for hands of a couple of squirtles in sunglasses.

_Crap they caught us, _one cried.

_Ropes! _Another one, wearing angular sunglasses, called out. Propelled by jets of water several pairs of rope carrying shells rocketed out of the forest and right at Team Rocket. Like bolas, they wrapped around the Rockets and their pokémon, tying them to a nearby tree.

_Why didn't we just do that from the start? _A squirtle in round sunglasses asked the squirtle in angular sunglasses.

_Because the expressions on their faces when they realized that the food was nowhere to be seen was going to be priceless._

"Nice trick," James commented, wiggling to get more comfortable. "But you do realize the problems with this, right?"

_Huh? _

_Too many different shapes and sizes wrapped up together, _Ekans hissed as he slipped out of the ropes. _You can't hold us all. _

_"_That's right," Meowth said, casually unsheathing his claws and cutting the ropes apart. Jessie, James, and Meowth fell to the ground; Koffing floated freely once more. "You have to have a couple tricks prepared to take on a group of people and mixed pokémon. You'll never become top turtle acting like that."

_Boss, they've escaped. And we haven't gotten out of here... _A squirtle whispered nervously, tugging on the leader's arm.

_They seem like cool cats, so to speak, _Squirtle replied smirking. _Where'd you pick up that trick? _

"Speaking human? Here and there." Meowth said casually. "I'm" _Meowth. _

_And I'm Squirtle, leader of the Squirtle Squad, _Squirtle returned. _This is Squirtle, _he continued, indicating the nervous squirtle. _Whatcha doing around here? _

"Translation please," Jessie asked, leaning against the tree she had been briefly tied to.

"We exchanged names and he asked what we're doing here," Meowth answered.

"What's their names?" James asked.

"Squirtle and Squirtle."

"Duh," James replied, rolling his eyes. "The translation of his name please."

"Oh, right. The leader, the pokémon with the sharp sunglasses, his name means 'Little Bouncing Shell' currently, 'Fierce Shell' after his first evolution, and after that it'll be 'Haven Shell'. The other guy is 'Little Wave', then 'Path-making Wave', and finally 'World-bearing Wave'."

"Nice to meet you Squirtle and Squirtle. Can I have some of my lunch back?" James requested.

_I guess. We cool folk have to stick together after all, _Squirtle said, reaching into the sack. He took out a sandwich and an apple and threw the sack to James, who took out an onigiri. James began to munch, as Squirtle threw the sandwich and the apple to a couple of squirtles behind him. _Split them up, _the squad leader instructed. _Anyway, _he began, turning back to the Rocket trio, _you never did answer, whatcha doing here? _

"We're..." An idea struck Meowth. Their record against the twerp was frankly awful. Why not enlist some help? "On a recruiting drive. You guys like playing pranks, right?"

_Of course! _Squirtle proclaimed. _We're the coolest pranksters in Kanto! If you want something pranked look no further! _

"Do you want to help us play a prank on the police and the League at the same time?" Meowth asked, grinning. "You see, there's this young trainer with a lot of potential."

_How much potential? What can he do?_

"He can understand us pokémon. And speak properly too." Meowth ignored James' grumbling about human speech was proper speech.

_That pikachu was telling the truth! _Squirtle exclaimed. _We ran into the guy earlier. He's got a real foul mouth. _

"Really? We've never heard him swear. What happened?"

_He fell into one of our pit traps. _

"Huh. We'll have to use one on him on of these days."

_But that's beside the point. While we would enjoy pulling off this prank, why should we help you? You're Team Rocket, and man, you really aren't a good thing for pokémon._

This was true, Meowth admitted. Jessie and James did aid and abet many activities that were detrimental to both individual pokémon and pokémon as a whole, even if they never actually delivered any stolen pokémon to the rest of Team Rocket.

Jessie and James never made the connection that occupied pokéballs actually contained _pokémon _like Ekans and Koffing. To them it was the same as stealing empty pokéballs. Intellectually they knew, but that fact never reached them on any other level.

Ekans, Koffing, and Meowth tended to 'accidently' spill or lose those occupied pokéballs before they reached other Rockets. The pokémon inside would either wait for them to move on and then leave their ball and go home, or they'd pop out of the pokéballs right then and there. And then Jessie and James would do what they did to every pokémon they encountered that they wanted for Team Rocket.

Give them the recruiting speech, presentation, and pamphlet.

When the pokémon inevitably refused they were sent on their way back to their trainers.

It was a hassle for Ekans, Koffing, and Meowth at times but it was an indulgence that Jessie and James needed. The things they did for those two humans... But it was worth it, even if they had a long way to go with those two.

Still, what could they do to get the Squirtle Squad to help...

Oh, right! The old standby.

"We could rob a PokéMart for you guys? Would that work?"

Squirtle thought about it for a second. Then he nodded.

_The Squirtle Squad will help you with your prank! Now what's to be done?_

* * *

><p>"Abandoned?" Ash asked.<p>

"Yes, a large part of the Squirtle Squad is composed of squirtles that were abandoned by their trainers. Their leader is a wild squirtle, and they take in any squirtle, but most were abandoned by their trainers." Officer Jenny replied, shuffling some paperwork around. "That's why they're delinquents. If they had trainers who cared for them..."

"But instead all they got was scum," Misty spat.

"They're actually not as good as they think they are," Officer Jenny continued. "It would be easy for a small task force to bring them in. But I talked with Nurse Joy and she told me that belonging to the Squirtle Squad was good for the abandoned pokémon, so I'm just trying to limit the collateral damage until she can get the League to come up with a solution." She sighed. "As if I didn't have enough of a problem with the forest fires..."

"Why are you waiting for the League?" Ash asked.

"Since a majority of those squirtles used to belong to trainers, League trainers, this is a League responsibility," the police officer answered. "They're currently trying to think of what's best for the pokémon they failed."

That made sense. If Ash had a cynical bone in his body, he'd question why the League was being so altruistic. And the answer he would receive was that, the League, especially the higher ranks, was made up of people whom the term "pokémon enthusiast" was a great understatement. Pokémanic, pokénerd, people who trained teams of pokémon to the point where they could easily wreck a mountain, there were many things to call these people. So it was no surprise that they'd be so altruistic when dealing with the squirtle squad.

Dealing with human matters on the other hand... well bureaucrats would always be bureaucrats and jerks would always be jerks.

Although it did make for a good show when one of the trainers who was known for abandoning their pokémon dared show their faces around the assholes. Douchery, used for the side of good, could be very entertaining.

"I'll send word to the Cerulean gym about the situation," Misty offered. "We specialize in water types, so we should be able to help."

"I'd appreciate that, thank you." Officer Jenny said, entering some data on her computer. "I don't think I have anything else to say. Any questions?"

* * *

><p>"I wish there was something we could do to help those Squirtles," Brock sighed. He was hoping to have a chance to make the world better in a nonviolent way as a sort of balance to what had happened in the village. Keep his and Misty's mental health up. Breaking- ahem, training Aaron should've been helping, but the boy's determination and lack of verbal complaints sort of ruined that.<p>

Brock sighed. It had worked so well on his misbehaving siblings too...

"It's a job for League specialists and the people living here," Misty replied. She too had wanted to help the squirtles, but the best she could do was pass the news on to her sisters.

_Rotten water types. I'd like to help them with some electroshock therapy. _Pikachu muttered.

Ash didn't reply, Brock and Misty were too close. But while he wanted to help the squirtles, he wanted to help them in the same way he had 'helped' Rattata find his clothes after the purple pokémon scattered them, or the way he had 'helped' Nidoran after he had 'accidently' eaten Ash's stash of berries, or...

It worked out in the end. It was just, that, well, all the stuff before the end involved hardship and tears.

Still-

And then his train of thought was interrupted by a large spray of water to the face.

_How bout you get some hydro-therapy instead! _It was the voice of Squirtle, leader of the Squirtle Squad.

Ash reacted on instinct.

"Pikachu! Electric Rain!" He shouted, pointing to the side of the road where the Squirtle Squad had come out of hiding. They were spread out to avoid being hit by a single Thundershock attack, standing with their arms crossed and smug expressions on their faces.

Lucky Electric Rain was multiple Thundershock attacks.

Like a bizarre combination of a disco ball and a plasma ball, Pikachu jumped off of Ash's head and sent out flickering, ever shifting tendrils of electric power. The Squirtle Squad dodge and dived but it was futile. Pikachu's electricity found each and every one of the water-types.

It also found Misty, Brock and Ash.

"Stop it!" Brock shouted between shocks. "The water's conducting Pikachu's electricity!"

Conducting! That must be the word Ash had been wondering about! That was why he was in such pain right now!

Right. Dealing with situation.

Pikachu had stopped his attack as soon as Brock shouted and had landed again.

_Orders partner? _He asked.

"Speed Burst! Quick Attack! Go for the leader" Ash ordered. He didn't include any electric attacks in his orders as he wouldn't put it past the Squirtle Squad to use the trick Misty had used in Pewter City.

Pikachu blurred and then disappeared from sight.

_Now! _Team Rocket had given the Squirtle Squad a quick briefing on the capabilities of Ash's pokémon and Meowth had suggested a way to counter Pikachu's speed. Each Squirtle unleashed a high pressured stream of water in random directions all around the squad, forming a maze of flowing water.

There was a burst of droplets as Pikachu ran straight into one of the streams. It hit like bicycle or a thrown brick or a charging rhyhorn or a big heavy thing moving fast.

Pikachu was sent tumbling into the air above the squad and hit with even more water attacks. He was sent higher into the air, helpless, unable to control his trajectory. Squirtle withdrew into his shell and propelled himself at Pikachu using a jet of water. Shell met skull with a thonk!

_Son of a- _Pikachu tumbled into grass on the side of the road, clutching at his wounded head. He glanced behind him, to know the terrain, and saw a small river behind him. _Ah f- _

_Language! _Squirtle scolded. He fired another blast of water at Pikachu, who was too dazed to dodge. Pikachu tumbled into the river. The shock of entering the cold water was enough to snap him out of his daze.

Ash studied the river as he reached for Bulbasaur's pokéball. He saw a horn and an orange fin..

_Get out of the water before you hurt someone electric type! _The goldeen shouted as it charged Pikachu. Pikachu couldn't use any electric attacks in the water without hurting any innocent pokémon that could be in the river, and his speed based moves were useless. He tried to swim away, but the goldeen was too fast.

Small droplets of blood flew through the air as the water-type's horn scraped across Pikachu and its skull met the electric type's body. The goldeen wasn't trying to hurt Ash's first pokémon, so Pikachu wasn't impaled, but it had little experience with fighting without trying to injure the other party.

Pikachu was catapulted out of the water with a scream. He hit the river bank and rolled to a stop. Other than signs of breathing he didn't move.

Ash growled as he grabbed both Bulbasaur's and Pidgeotto's pokéballs. They hurt Pikachu! They would pay!

"Koffing use Smokescreen!" A thick cloud of smoke engulfed Brock, Misty, and Ash. They all started to cough and choke, all thought of grabbing their pokémon forgotten. The trio raced for the edge of the smokescreen and towards air.

_Ropes! _Ropes slammed into the human trio, wrapping them together. Misty and Brock automatically began to work their way out of the bonds when the smoke roiled and changed. Ash found his eyelids growing heavy and -

* * *

><p><em>When they supposed to wake up? <em>Squirtle asked Meowth.

"I don't know. James is the guy who does the tech and chemicals. Hey James! How long they going to be out for?" Meowth shouted, turning to his human comrades.

"A couple more minutes. By the way, nice job dispersing the drug Koffing. You were wonderful."

_Thanks, _Koffing said graciously.

"We'll have to pick up an extra potion when we rob the PokéMart. That Pikachu isn't looking too good."

_I think we were a wee bit too hard on him, _Squirtle admitted. _And then there was that goldeen..._

"He'll be fine," Jessie said, checking over her gear. "But the twerp will pay more attention to the presentation if he's not worried about his pokémon."

"We'll be back in a bit," Meowth told the squad. "Keep an eye on them."

* * *

><p><em>Pikachu! <em>Ash didn't know whether he shouted the word or merely thought it when he came to in an instant. He looked around desperately.

He was in some sort of cave, bound to a large rock. Brock and Misty were next to him, still out of it. Pikachu was lying on a flat rock. Still breathing.

Ash closed his eyes and let out a sigh of relief. When he opened them again he saw a bunch of squirtles in sunglasses staring at him inquisitively.

_They said you'd be waking up soon, _the lead squirtle said. _Looks like they were right. _

Ash didn't care who they were, or about what was going on. There was only one thing on his mind, one thing filling his stomach with hollow dread, a terrible energy running through his body. He only cared about what had happened to Pikachu.

_Pikachu! Is he alright? Is he hurt? _The pokéraised child was nearly in tears.

Squirtle glanced over to the electric-type. Pikachu was was in bad shape. Not fatal, especially if Team Rocket got back with the supplies, but definitely not good.

_Not good, but he'll be fine. Eventually. _Squirtle answered.

_I don't know why you've tied me up, but please, let me go get him a potion, _Ash pleaded, tears leaking down his face. _I'll come back right away, I promise. There won't be time to contact the cops or anything. Please just let me help Pikachu! _

_Hmmm... _Team Rocket had asked the Squirtle Squad to keep their involvement secret until they got back. So that meant that he couldn't exactly tell Ash that a potion was on the way.

(Actually he could, but the idea of simply not identifying the people bringing the potion didn't occur to him. Hey, not every pokémon could be Poison Lance or Bulbasaur)

But leaving the human hanging like this would be uncool. Definitely uncool. Despite leading a squad largely composed of abandoned pokémon Squirtle knew that most humans were cool dudes, so to speak. It was just the bad eggs that ruined things for everyone. And this Ash kid was definitely a good egg.

It would also be unfair to expect him not to go back on his word and get help. After all he had just been kidnapped and his pokémon had been assaulted. Squirtle could only think of one solution.

_Leave your pokéballs here and I'll go with to make sure you don't escape. _

Ash let out a sob of relief.

* * *

><p>It wasn't a very busy day inside the PokéMart. There was a scattered handful of people browsing the wares for pokémon supplies, traveling gear, a quick bite to eat, or paying for their purchases.<p>

It meant that there wasn't a mob of people panicking inside when Team Rocket burst through the doors, sub-machine guns at the ready. In fact nobody panicked. No one thought that the guns were real. Everybody knew that guns were rare and ammo was rarer these post war days. What would a pair of Rockets be doing with real guns?

One customer voiced this thought. Team Rocket responded by shooting a circle in the ceiling.

"We made them ourselves," James said in answer to the silent question asked by gaping jaws, as plaster dust settled on hair. "Both the guns and the bullets. Now please move out of the way."

Everyone instantly complied.

Once they had gotten the items they wanted Team Rocket left the PokéMart. As they walked back into the sparse forest, they casually threw their guns to the side. Sometimes it was fun to use firearms, but most of the time Jessie and James preferred to use other methods. Besides, while guns could be very useful in the right situation, out in the open field against pokémon like a gyarados or something, it was better to have a Hyper Beam. One needed massed firepower to deal with certain pokémon.

And James liked to make the guns and ammo. It was something to do.

"How are we going to get the twerp to where we've stashed the stuff?" Meowth wondered. "We can't just hike him there, he'd have too many chances to escape."

"We could build a giant robot to take him there," James suggested.

"Hoist him over our shoulders and run there," Jessie suggested.

"Or we could take the balloon," Meowth said, thinking of a more reasonable solution.

"Oooh! And we can use it to make an entrance!" Jessie exclaimed. "It'll be a perfect introduction!"

* * *

><p>Ash raced along the road, Squirtle clinging to his back. The human was really unstable at these speeds, but considering the situation it would've been uncool for Squirtle to complain. Still, the water-type wished that they had figured out someway of seeing and navigating when using their water propelled shell move. It would come in handy here.<p>

_So where'd you pick up the trick? _Squirtle asked, trying to make conversation.

_What trick? _Ash asked, confused. As long as he kept running, keep rushing towards aid for Pikachu, he felt fine.

_Speakin properly. _

_Just something I learned growing up. _

_Did your parent's teach you? _

_No. They... weren't there. I learned how to talk from pokémon. _

Squirtle blinked in surprise behind his sunglasses. This kid didn't seem like a normal pokéraised child. Or at least, according to what Squirtle knew of the pokéraised. Something about not speaking human or being able to fit in with humans. Eh, maybe that ditto had been wrong. Or exaggerating, dittos never had any trouble fitting in anywhere.

_Why'd you attack us? _Now it was Ash's turn to ask the questions.

_It was part of a prank we're helping some people pull. Normally we wouldn't work with them, but they offered to get some stuff from a PokéMart for us, so we agreed. Sorry about Pikachu, we weren't expecting that goldeen. _

To a human raised by humans, this would've been an insufficient apology. To a human raised by creatures with the ability to control fire, lightning, ice, and other elements, creatures who fought each other to become stronger, intelligent creatures who existed in predator prey relationships with each other, it was a perfectly sufficient apology.

_It's okay, _Ash replied. He mis-stepped, stumbled, and then took off again. _So why'd you form the Squirtle Squad? _

_Well it started when I met Squirtle. He had just been abandoned by his trainer, don't know why. He's a cool turtle. I started hanging out with him a lot. He was really happy about that, more than what's usual when making a new friend. After awhile I asked him about it and it turns out he really misses hanging out with his old team. He couldn't care less about his old trainer, but he liked being in a group of pokémon. _

_I see, _Ash said, nodding. _So you found another squirtle to hang out with. _

_Yep. Squirtle. Nice kid. A bit nervous at times though. Turns out he also missed his old team. So I found another squirtle. And another. And another. It just snowballed from there and thus the Squirtle Squad was born! It was a lot more work than I expected at first. There was always some problem cropping up. We'd need to get food, or deal with a predator, or find a place to sleep. There was almost no free time! But then I had an idea. If I could take care of the problems before they happened then I'd get free time again! I started telling groups of Squirtles to go get food before they were hungry or- _

_Ah, long term planning, _Ash stated. _I was wondering how you managed to keep a group like that together. _

_That's long term planning? That's it? __I thought it was supposed to be some sort of ancient secret art only taught to the best trained pokémon. What a let down. _Squirtle griped.

_Eh, it's largely a human thing, that's why wild pokémon never learn it. According to Poison Lance, trained pokémon tend to pick it up by association.  
><em>

_Poison Lance? _

_The weedle who raised me. He's a trained pokémon. So why pranks? _

_Some members of the Squirtle Squad are a bit angry at humans about the whole abandonment thing. Pranks are a nice safe way of dealing with that anger. Also, _Squirtle's voice dropped a little bit, _I'm pretty sure some of the squad misses dealing with humans. Pranks get them some human contact as well. _

_Isn't there anything else you could do? I know that the League's going to get involved soon and they'll try their best, but you might like what they come up with. Ugh, sorry, I mean not like what they come up with._

_Then we'll move somewhere else. It's not like they're going to make a group specifically to deal with us. Right? _

_Actually, _Ash began, _since so many of you were abandoned, they're sort of seeing it as their responsibility to fix the problem. _

_Cool attitude on their part. However the rest is very uncool._

_It would probably be best if you guys found something else to do. _

_I'm seeing that now... there's the PokéMart. Go get your potion, I'll be waiting here._

Ash set the water-type down and ran towards the PokéMart. Before he could go in, the door swung open, and swatted him against the side of the building.

Ash sighed. It just wasn't his day.

* * *

><p>Ash ran back from the PokéMart even faster than he had run to it. Squirtle had to hang on for dear life as Ash burst through bushes, clumps of branches, and other obstacles in his single-minded rush to help Pikachu. He really needed to find a way to steer the water propelled shell thing.<p>

When they arrived at the cave by the cliff they found Brock and Misty outside, doing their best to tend to Pikachu who was lying on a flat rock.

"Potion!" Ash shouted. "Move movemovemeove!"

"Give it here," Brock said, stepping slightly to the side to give Aaron time to stop.

Ash complied, bending over and panting, while he watched Brock apply the potion to Pikachu.

"There," Brock said, stepping back from the electric mouse. "He'll be better in a few minutes. Heh, we wondered where you'd gone off to when we woke up. At first I thought you were off getting reinforcements but I guess I should've seen this coming."

"Reinforcements. We never needed reinforcements." Misty snorted, crossing her arms. Honestly Brock didn't have enough confidence in her abilities. She could easily deal with a cave full of water types with or without violence, bound or not. "I'm going to try and find out what they wanted from us."

Ash and Squirtle exchanged looks as Misty went over to the nearest clump of squirtles and started talking with them. The human and the water type both shrugged.

Brock left Pikachu's side to go help Misty. Ash sat down by his recovering pokémon's side and Squirtle sat down on the other.

"How you feeling buddy?" Ash whispered to his pokémon.

_Fine. When did you learn Double Team? _

"Yeeaaah... I think the potion still has a couple minutes to go."

_Sorry about this, _Squirtle apologized to the electric type. _We didn't know about the goldeen. _

_Just don't get mad when I electrocute you for this when I'm better, _Pikachu replied. _So why'd you do it anyway._

_PokéMart supplies. We get you and they get us some stuff from there. _

Something tugged on Ash's recollection. The PokéMart had just been robbed, hadn't it. It had been robbed by...

_Mother fuckin, Arcues dammed- _The pokéraised boy began to quietly swear.

_Language__ young man! I know Poison Lance brought you up better than that! _Pikachu scolded.

Before Ash could respond a familiar female voice rang out.

"Prepare for trouble!"

A male voice followed.

"And make it double!"

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all peoples within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!" Everyone had turned to look at the hot air balloon slowly rising over the edge of the cliff.

"James!" Ash, Misty, Brock, Pikachu, and the Squirtle Squad could see the Rocket trio.

"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!" Jessie exclaimed.

"Surrender now or prepare to fight!" James declared.

"Meowth! That's right!" The normal type shouted, jumping out of the balloon. Jessie and James followed, releasing their pokémon on the way down.

"Team Rocket!" Brock growled, reaching for his pokéballs and moving between them and the rest of the clifftop occupants. "What are you doing here?"

"You guys again," Misty complained, grabbing her own pokéballs. "Didn't you learn anything back at Pewter City?"

Ash stood up and reached for his own pokémon. Brock turned to him, keeping one eye on the Rockets.

"Aaron, get Pikachu and the squirtles and stay back. Misty and I will handle them." The gym leader ordered.

"Aaron's beaten them three times so far and they weren't very tough back at Pewter City," Misty commented. "But then again I took them by surprise there and Aaron had all the pokécenter pikachus back in Viridian City."

"Indeed," James said, "and he also drove us off in the Viridian forest. It simply goes to show that we were right about his potential."

"His potential?" Brock entering a battle stance, ready to release his pokémon at a moments notice, Misty standing the same way.

"His potential for evil," James answered. "Aaron will be an excellent addition to Team Rocket!" The recruitment presentation they had prepared was the best they ever made, there's no way it would fail to sway him.

"You're so desperate for recruits that you've resorted to kidnapping newbie trainers?" Brock sneered.

"No," Jessie said, with a predatory smirk. "That's not it at all. But why should we tell you what we're up to?"

A horrible thought occurred to Brock. Was Team Rocket thinking about starting some sort of child soldier program? Were operatives all over the land stealing children that they thought had potential?

Giovanni's son! He had been abducted! If they were going around taking children, then they'd be sure to grab the son of a gym leader. They could use him to keep Giovanni out of their way. They might even be forcing him to give him League information!

Could Giovanni be the League traitor? No, the mole had been active before the gym leader's son had disappeared, it had to be someone else.

There was no more time for anymore speculation. Team Rocket was here for Brock's friend and he couldn't let that stand.

"Go Onix!" With an earthshaking roar and a flash of white light the rocky leviathan was unleashed on the battlefield. The stone serpent towered over everyone present, glaring down at Team Rocket. "Crush them!"

"Rock type?" Jessie and James grinned at each other. With the type disadvantage they wouldn't have to worry about killing the twerp's friend's pokémon.

"Koffing use Cloud Maneuver One!" James ordered.

_On it! _Koffing puffed in between the charging onix and his friends. He took a deep breath and expelled a thick smog bank, creating a poisonous smokescreen. Onix charged right into it.

Brock heard a roar of displeasure from Onix, but he couldn't see what was going on inside the cloud. He heard another roar of displeasure that seemed to be traveling away rapidly. Away and down...

How did they manage to trick Onix into going over the cliff? He had trained his pokémon better than that. Onix should have been listening for his foes, so he wouldn't be charging blindly onward, and as a pokémon that was native to the mountains, he really shouldn't have had a problem with the cliff...

Dammit, he forgot that they had a hot air balloon and that Koffing could float. That would probably do it. The gym leader would have to retrieve Onix after the fight.

The Rocket's and their pokémon charged out of the smoke, the humans and the meowth had their eyes closed and were pinching their noses closed.

"Go Geodude!"

"Staryu, Starmie come on out!"

Three pokémon blazed into being, ready to fight. Meowth, Jessie, and James took note of the composition of material that made up the two water types.

"Poison Sting Ekans!" Jessie ordered. There was no need to tell the poison type to make it non-lethal, everyone agreed that there was no reason to hurt a pokémon simply because it had to work for the good guys. Not that stopped Ekans, Koffing, and even Meowth from sometimes slaughtering the enemy pokémon (whenever they felt that the pokémon were a threat to Jessie and James, but they never told the humans that).

"Barrage Counter!" Misty ordered, a wall of water catching the spray of needles. "Water Gun, full power both of you!"

Pressurized streams of water blasted across the battlefield, rainbows forming the mist left behind in their wake, forcing the Rockets to scatter.

"Again!" Misty shouted. "Keep it up!"

"Dig!" Jessie commanded.

"Sludge Stream to counter!" James ordered.

Ekans dove into the earth, disappearing from sight, Starmie's blast just missing. Koffing coughed up a pressurized batch of sludge aimed at Staryu's blast. Water and pollution met and struggled against each other, a constant brown and blue explosion marking where they met.

"Geodude, Dig and catch that ekans!" Brock ordered.

"Not while the top cat's on the watch!" Meowth bellowed, charging across the battlefield. He docked, dodged, swerved and weaved around Starmie's Water Gun attacks that gouged the earth all around him, blasting up rocks and dirt. He moved faster than Geodude or Brock expected and leapt towards the rock type. His silver claws flashed in the sunlight and then blurred as he brought them down on Geodude, seeking the vulnerable eyes. Brock's pokémon was forced to abandon Dig and defend his weakpoints from the repeated slashes.

"Starmie use Ice Beam to keep Ekans down," ordered the red haired girl, her eyes constantly scanning the battlefield for Ekan's reappearance. She would've loved to get this attack off against Fearow, but its damn minions had broken her pokéballs too quickly.

A blue-white beam lanced out from Starmie's top point, tendrils of pale power crackling and coruscating around the central beam, leaving ice that cracked and covered the ground in its wake. Misty's pokémon made sure to cover the hole where Ekans had entered the earth.

She didn't expect for Ekans to reappear with a burst of flying ice shards right below Starmie. The purple pokémon wrapped itself around the water type and started to squeeze_. _

"Fly up and spin! Staryu use Flying Bubblebeam!" Misty ordered. Starmie and Ekans became an ascending whirling blur. Staryu abandoned the struggle of streams with Koffing and started to fire off high velocity bubbles while strafing sideways. Koffing frantically bobbed and dodged, firing off the occasional Sludge to stop a bubble he couldn't dodge.

Meowth kept up his relentless assault on Geodude, stopping the rock type from being able to obey Brock. The gym leader grit his teeth in frustration. His hand inched towards the large pocket of his backpack where his mace was kept. But the pokémon battle was raging too fiercely for him to fight personally. But with Geodude locked down and Onix gone it was all he had left.

"Enough of this," declared James. "Koffing Cloud Maneuver Two!"

Koffing flew up, outpacing the stream of bubbles, trailing smoke as he went. The poison type pulled a blanket of smoke over the area that the pokémon had been fighting and then dived back down. Brock and Misty jumped back to stay out of the cloud.

Brock stared at the cloud, trying to figure out what Team Rocket was up to. Geodude had been trained for blind fighting, as they should know if they had gotten any intelligence on the village battle. He didn't know about Misty's pokémon, but Starmie was too high to be affected, so the move might potentially shut down exactly one of their pokémon.

They'd shown themselves to be clever adversaries. Brock knew that he needed to figure out what they were doing or it could go very badly.

He got his answer when two humans burst out of the smoke and charged the two League members. Of course, they were after Aaron. They didn't even need to beat Brock or Misty, all they had to do was get past them.

Plus, Brock realized, they might be ignorant of the fact that he was a gym leader and Misty was a gym brat. Jessie and James were both adults and had a couple feet on Misty and a good several inches on Brock. If they didn't know better, it would seem like it would be easy to overpower the two teens. Easier than beating their pokémon.

A mistake on their part, Brock thought to himself, grinning wolfishly. He took up a fighting stance. Misty drew her trench knives and followed suit. When the Rockets were a few feet away the two League members surged forward to meet them. Brock met James and Misty met Jessie.

Crap, the word flashed through Brock's mind as he and James exchanged blows. James was good. Not better than himself, but good enough to put up a fight. The lavender haired man used some sort of style that used a lot of knife hand blows, palm punches, elbow attacks, and knees. It was unusual. Brock would have to think about what it meant after the battle.

Misty lashed out with a right cross, metal knuckles and blade catching the sun as they flashed forward at Jessie's jaw. The elder red head bent backward to avoid the blow, and flipped backwards, kicking out at the same time. Her foot was mere millimeters from Misty's face, causing the League trainer to flinch back.

Jessie regained her feet and rushed Misty. The younger red head slashed at the woman, but Jessie moved just enough to avoid the blade. She broke Misty's stance with a quick series of blows and then stepped in close and threw Misty back towards the cave. Misty rolled to her feet, regaining her stance just in time to meet a charging Jessie.

Misty let loose with a jab, trying to catch Jessie by surprise. But her fist met only empty air and Jessie was suddenly nowhere to be found. Where-

Time seemed to slow as the water type specialist saw Jessie in the air, flipping over her, body twisting, hands reaching out to grab Misty's head. Misty's sisters had sometimes practiced that move. They had explained to their youngest sister that it was a method of snapping necks.

She was going to die unless she did something. But she couldn't move her body fast enough to react.

Her eyes closed on instinct, the sudden prospect of imminent death filling her with icy fear. She let out a yelp of fear as she waited for hands, a painful twisting sensation, and then nothingness.

Something wet touched her face and then she heard Jessie land behind her. Misty opened her eyes. She was still alive.

The trainer whirled around to face her foe. Jessie was smirking and holding a black marker. What-? Misty touched a wet spot on her cheek. Her fingers came away stained black.

Brock glanced over to Misty when he heard the yelp. Her face was covered in various words and characters that meant brat and twerp. How did that- Crap James!

His lapse in attention would probably hurt, but if the gym had guessed correctly, he knew what moves James would use and give as good as he would get.

The blow to the ribs hurt, but Brock pushed past the pain to step into James' guard, grab his wrist, break his stance, and then use a hip throw. He caught sight of something black in the Rocket's hand. A marker?

"I told you that you needed to work on your hand to hand," Jessie said. "You take this brat, I'll get your brat!" She started running towards Brock.

"Fine with me," James agreed, getting to his feet.

Meowth exploded out of the smoke, dodging blows from Geodude the whole while. Now it was Brock's pokémon keeping up a furious assualt, but Meowth didn't seem at all bothered.

Staryu floated out of the smoke and fell to the ground.

Brock and Misty couldn't spare any attention to their pokémon, the common problem when engaging in hand to hand combat during a battle.

James and Misty met. Misty launched a furious offensive, fists flashing, her weapons forcing James to focus solely on the defensive. She grinned. The third time was the charm.

Her knee flew up towards her opponents groin and then- ouch!

James grinned.

"I've started wearing a cup after the first two times," he explained while Misty rubbed her knee. "That's not going to work anymore."

Brock had his hands full with Jessie. She was better than James, far better. Better than himself maybe. It was a good thing his style was highly defensive because she would have overloaded him otherwise. She alternated between throws, kicks, and highly acrobatic moves.

Starmie fell from the sky, struggling for control over its fall. It didn't regain it before it hit the ground. Ekans slithered off its foe and coiled up and waited for Jessie's commands. Koffing puffed out of the smoke.

Brock knew that the situation wasn't good. Misty's pokémon were out of the fight and Geodude was tied up with Meowth. If only they still had Onix, then it would be an easy victory. As it stood he didn't know why Misty was still alive. Jessie could have easily killed her.

He hoped that Aaron had gotten to safety. If he had done so, then it would be worth it no matter the-

"Hey! You goodie two shoes Rockets!"

Arcues dammit Aaron.

Jessie and James froze for a half instant and then jumped back from their opponents. They turned a pair of fierce glares on the boy who was standing by the edge of the forest and shouting at them while carrying his Pikachu.

"Who are you calling good you twerp!" Jessie screamed, shaking her fist at the boy. "When I get my hands on you-"

"Oh you'll regret this," James growled. Just for that, the boy would be the last to get snacks during the presentation.

"Nope. Don't think so." Ash said, closing his eyes and sticking out his tongue.

"Sludge the brats out of the way Koffing!" James shouted, before charging. Brock and Misty were forced to get out of the way as deadly slime was rained down on them. Jessie and James then ran on the open path to Ash.

"You loose," Ash said. "Now guys!" Pidgeotto and Buttefree flew out above him.

_I know where the balloon is. I'll mark the smoke. _Butterfree called out. The bug type focused for a moment and used telekensis to create a large indent on the smoke.

_It's on you Bulbasaur! _Pidgeotto cried out as she used Gust. A relatviely small grey tornado whirrled forward towards the indent, slower than usual. Jessie and James split and started to run around it.

_I still say I should just aim for those two, _Bulbasaur complained before firing off a stream of Razor Leaves at the Gust attack, the winds grabbing the leaves and adding them to the vortex. Ash had told Pidgeotto to slow her attack for that very reason.

"Since when did you have a Bulbasaur? And one that knows Razor Leaf?" Jessie shouted. "What are you even doing?"

"I call shenanigans," James muttered.

"Too bad about that balloon," Ash said to the the pair as the combined attack reached the cloud of smoke, sucking it up. "I hope you don't have anything you need in there. But I'm sure good guys like you wouldn't-"

"We're not good guys!" Jessie screamed angrily. Her voice took on a new edge, becoming more high pitched, less stable, and more animalistic. It sounded like she was teetring on the brink of sanity. "And we'll get you for this!"

She'd give him a cookie with salt and sugar switched. That's show him! But first they had to deal with the balloon...

"Everybody fall back!" Meowth cried out, vaulting over Geodude. "Try and save what you can from the balloon!"

The Rockets and their pokémon ran back towards the clifftop, right as the Gust and Razor Leaf combination hit the balloon. The swirling winds slashed it with the sharp leaves again and again, tearing up the canvas. One leaf hit the burning, sending the metal piece tumbling away into the winds, which threw it off into the forest. Then the winds dissapated and everything fell.

Team Rocket jumped off the cliff after it.

Ash paled. He had only meant for it to be a distraction while everybody ran away. He didn't mean to make them jump off the cliff.

The pokéraised boy rushed towards the cliff as fast as he could. He looked over trying to see the fate of Team Rocket.

But they were nowhere to be seen. He didn't even see the balloon.

Brock and Misty joined him.

"Well that could've gone better," Brock said deadpan. "I really wasn't expecting them to be that good."

"Just how good are they?" Ash called Aaron asked worridly. He hadn't realized the extent of Team Rocket's skills. If they were going to keep hounding him... "I mean if they could beat you, a gym leader-"

"Aaron, I'm the youngest, least expirenced, and frankly weakest gym leader," Brock responded. "And they still only were able to do so well because they managed to trick Onix off the cliff. Point him out to me when you see him please." He could guess why the boy was worried. "But, my point is, they're good, but you should be safe when we get you to Vermilion City."

Ash noticed Misty shivering out of the corner of his eye. Was she cold? Her sweater was probably packed somewhere hard to get. He should warm her up.

Misty was busy contemplating how close she had come to dying, when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her and pull her close.

Aaron was hugging her. Her cheeks went red. "What-?"

"Just trying to warm you up. Since you were shivering."

Misty stood up, pulling Aaron with her, took a couple of steps away from the cliff, again taking Aaron with her. Then the 'Fist of Female Fury' shot out, grabbed the front of his shirt, and started to shake him violently.

"You idiot! I'm shivering because I almost died! I'm not cold! You idiot!"

"Sorry, sorry, sorry! Forgive me!" Ash pleaded.

"Why didn't they kill you?" Brock mused turning away from the cliff. Several things about the fight didn't make sense.

"Hey!"

"They had the oppertunity to get you out of the way and then double team me. Why didn't they take it?"

"Cause they're trying to get me and I wouldn't work with them if they had just killed my friends," Aaron suggested.

"Then why didn't they just knock her out?" Brock replied. "Then they could've had a hostage to ensure your cooperation. Instead they just drew insults on her face."

"I completely forgot about that. It's still on me." Misty groaned. "I'll have to get it washed off."

"What's their game? What are they really up to?" Brock sighed. It was a mystery that needed solving and he wasn't the best detective. "Great, just great. By the way, how are your pokémon Misty?"

"Fine. Starmie had just fainted, and Staryu was poisoned."

"Koffing must've filled the smokescreen with Poison Gas after everyone had been blinded. You wouldn't even know about the attack until you felt the effects of the poison. And they probably took the antidote or anti-venom, I forget which, before hand. Clever." Brock remarked.

"Ugh. I can still smell the smoke." Aaron complained. "I hope the Gust got the poison as well."

Brock sniffed. Then he started.

"That doesn't smell like Smokescreen smoke..." the gym leader said, slowy turning around. He saw a column of smoke rising from the forest nearby and an orange glow between the trees. "Forest fire!"

Ash knew that those were extremely bad news. Poison Lance had drilled him endlessly about what to do during a fire. But not when it had you trapped on a cliff.

_Ah great, _Squirtle complained, him and the Squirtle Squad rushing out of the forest where they had been avoiding the cross fire. _Well we'll have to find somewhere else to go-_

A group of water types. A forest fire. A way out.

"Guys, we need your help here," Ash told the group of Squirtles. "We can't afford to risk waiting it out up here."

_Well, seeing as its our fault that you're here in the first palce, sure, _Squirtle replied, sunlight glinting off his angular sunglasses.

_He's going to pretend not to understand that, _Pikachu spoke up. _Just nod. _

Squirtle complied.

"Great. Folllow me guys!" Ash shouted, taking off towards the forest. Behind him he heard Brock and Misty shout in protest, but he ignored them.

They could get mad at him for some weird human reason later. Right now he had to lead the Squirtle Squad into battle against the fire.

* * *

><p><em>How do you know so much about forest fires? <em>Squirtle asked, sitting against a boulder by the edge of the forest. Ash and Pikachu sat next to him. Behind them bits of smoke wisped up from the quenched forest fire. In front of them, aways away, Brock and Misty were talking to Officer Jenny.

_Poison Lance was always worried about them, so I decided to read some books on the subject, _Ash answered. _I suck at human interaction, my human vocabulary isn't the greatest, but I have a very large collection of eclectic facts._

_That's cool,_ Squirtle responded. _So do think this idea go through? The Squirtle Squad becomes a League fire-fighting team? _

_It should. It works fo the League, it gets you guys to stop being deliquents, and it deals with the forest fires. _

_And it gives the abandoned pokémon some of the human interaction they've been missing while at the same time letting them keep their independence, channels their urges into something constructive, and gives them the chance to meet and work alongside good traiiners that they might decide to join, _Squirtle observed. He noticed Pikachu staring at him and shrugged. _What? I occasionally notice these things. It came with being the leader of the Squirtle Squad._

_Came? _Ash noted the tense.

_Yeah. I'm putting Squirtle in charge after this. He's a bit nervous, but he's got the right qualities, and leadership should help him grow out of his nervousness. With the League helping him, he should to fine. _

_What are you going to do then?_ Pikachu asked.

_Don't know. I'll probably hang out with the squad for a bit then strike off on my own. _

Brock and Misty had finished talking to Officer Jenny.

_Well good luck with that. Don't get eaten. It was nice meeting you even if you did beat us up._ Ash said, standing up.

_ Thanks. It was nice meeting you guys as well. You're all pretty cool. Goodbye and good luck on your journey. _

* * *

><p><em>"-<em>reckless behavior!" Brock scolded Aaron as they continued on their journey to Vermilion City.

"Well what else could I have done? We were trapped on that clifftop and it was getting bigger!" Ash retorted.

"We could've found Onix, either by eye, or using Pidgeotto, and had him help. Being a mountain pokémon he could have found a way up the cliff and either made a path for us or carried us safely down so we could get the professionals."

"Oh," Ash replied, rubbing the back of his head. That made sense.

"Maybe more training will help you think of these things," Brock growled. "We'll start getting up earlier after this."

Aaron paled. He really shouldn't complain, it was for his own good and it made him stronger. But he really wanted to.

"I wonder if we'll run into any of those Squirtles again," Misty pondered. "I know they'd be welcome at the Cerulean gym."

"I doubt it. They'll be busy with the League for awhile and after that they'll be mobile in the wilder areas, working alongside the Rangers." Brock replied. "So this is probably-"

_Don't go counting us out yet, _a voice shouted from behind them. Ash knew that voice. He turned around.

Squirtle stood on the road behind them. He grinned and took off his sunglasses, putting them in his shell.

_Hey kid! The coolest member of your team has arrived! _

* * *

><p>Team Rocket were busy cooking on the fire they had set up in the cave on the face of the cliff.<p>

"It's a good thing we decided to tether the balloon to this cave," James said. "And always carry the mini parachutes that Koffing can help us with."

"Yep. Otherwise we'd have lost all this food." Jessie said, stirring the pot. "Clever twerp. But it's more proof that we're right!"

"Indeed. I can't wait to recruit him. It'll be so fun working with him." Jame replied.

"It'll be nice having another translator," Meowth commented. "But now he's traveling with those two brats. I'm pretty sure they're League members."

"We'll have to look up their identies," Jessie stated. "James?"

"It'll be easy," the lavender haired man replied. "But this means that the Leage's getting their claws into him. We can't let the good guys-"

**A mansion**. Men in black suits holding him down. Being locked in a room.

"It's for the good of the family James. Quit fighting, we're the good guys here!"

Pain. ** Hurt.**

"-get him." James said, voice pained as he was assulated by fragements of memory. But the attack was short lived and the fragements fell back into forgetfullness, even the knowledge of what the memories had contained quickly fading. "It'll be a disaster!" His voice had returned to normal.

He didn't notice Meowth or Koffing's worried looks.

"I know. The good guys-"

**White rooms. **Men in white hitting her. Holding her down.

"Don't worry. We're the good guys, see."

Pain. And something worse.

**Make it stop.**

"- are going to have a fight on their hands if they want him." Jessie declared. Just like with James the memory fragements were lost once more. Ekans and Meowth noticed the brief flash of pain that had shot across her face and were now giving _her _the worried looks.

"Well, we can't make plans on an empty stomach," Meowth said. "And I think the stew's done. Let's eat."

He was glad when they didn't fight the subject change. The flashbacks were flaring up again. Meowth had thought them a good thing at first, a sign of recovery, but the memories never stayed, and they only caused the pair pain. So sometimes it was best just to keep the conversation away from certain topics.

After dinner they would probably be better.

And they could return to talking about how to save Ash from the good guys.

* * *

><p>Author's Notes: Well now you know how Jessie and James can operate openly and why they'll still never beat Ash. Sanity has its advantages after all.<p>

Next up: Charamander.

Selm is having computer troubles, so the beta reading didn't go like it usually does. It's not his fault if there's errors in this chapter.

Review or I'll add in the fanfiction element that you hate most. You, yes you, I'm talking to you. Who else would I be talking about. Quit looking over your shoulder, there's no one else there.


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I do not own pokemon

Edited as of 12:51pm 8/7/2012 to catch the error in caverns dark mentioned.

* * *

><p>It was a bright sunny day, part of a long string of bright sunny days. Kanto had been having amazing weather this season. It was a fact that the three lost humans were grateful for.<p>

"We've been searching for Vermilion City for ten days now!" Misty complained, sitting back against a tree stump. "This is all your fault Brock!"

"The map said it was a shortcut," Brock angrily retorted, "and you just made things worse with your attempts to get us back on track!"

"It should've worked. That map must be wrong!" Misty pulled at her hair in frustration. "And there's been all these spearows around! Grr! I'm sick of being lost."

Ash reflected that if they were tired of being lost, then they should've let him do the navigating and stayed quiet. Now he had to get them back on track. And none of the spearows wanted to be caught. It was annoying. He sighed and turned his attention back to the map.

"Hey, isn't that a bug-" Misty shrieked at Brock's words and jumped on Ash's back. He fell to his knees when he felt the unexpected weight, the map fluttering up into the air.

"Whoops, it was just a piece of grass," Brock held up the stalk with the seed head for the red head to see. Misty's face darkned and she started to growl. She jumped off of Ash and grabbed Brock and started to shake the gym leader.

_Ah, humans, _Pikachu sighed. _I'll never get them. _

_Neither will I, _Ash hissed quietly, as Misty shouted at Brock. He stood up and grabbed the map out of the air. Yes, he was a bit out of sorts, but being lost and having to deal with Brock's increased training regimen was really trying his patience. He looked back at the map and found some good news.

"Route Twenty-Four's just north of here and it leads directly to Vermilion City," Misty quit haranguing Brock and rushed back over to Ash.

"Really! And we can get to it?"

"Yep, this trail leads right to it," Ash pointed out the route on the map.

"You're sure about this?" Brock asked. "I don't want us to get even more lost."

Ash gave him a pointed stare. Brock held up his hands defensively and backed away. Ash turned his gaze on Misty who giggled nervously.

"I guess it's your turn to get us lost," she offered.

"We wouldn't have gotten lost if you guys didn't insist on all those shortcuts," Ash said, his pleasant tone failing to fully hide the anger and annoyance he was feeling.

"Alright, alright," Brock surrendered. "We'll take your route this time."

"Thank you," Ash started to fold up the map.

_I've never seen you grumpy before, _Pikachu commented, jumping to his usual perch on Ash's shoulder. _I hope you cheer up in time for the storm. _

Ash gave his pokémon a quizzical look. He hadn't seen any storm clouds around.

_A spearow warned me that there was a storm coming this way from the south, _Pikachu responded to his trainer's unspoken question.

"What's that?" Misty suddenly spoke up, looking at a tall rock between the group and the sun. It looked like there was something on top of it, but all the group could make out was a large dark shape looming over them, tall and menacing.

And then the moved to the side a bit and saw an orange lizard with a flaming tail sitting on a rock.

Ash didn't recognize the pokémon, so he took out his pokédex.

"Please fill out registration information," the machine beeped.

"Aaron, you still haven't registered?" Misty scowled at the boy. "You said that you'd do that weeks ago."

"I forgot," Ash said, taking the register later button.

"Charmander: A flame burns on the tip of its tail from birth. A charmander dies if its flame ever goes out." The machine informed.

"So that's what a charmander looks like." Ash had heard about charmanders from the Pallet pokémon but he had never seen one before.

"Look at its life flame. It's not in good shape." Brock pointed out. It was true, the flame on the tip of its tail was small and it was constantly wavering.

"Maybe we should catch it and bring it to a pokémon center?" Misty suggested. "We could let it go after that."

"That's a good idea," Brock replied. "Aaron, do you want to do the honors?"

Aaron shrugged and grabbed an empty pokéball. He hurled it at the fire type, only for it to be swatted away.

Now that was just rude. If it didn't like their plan it could've spoken up about it...

Ah, right humans couldn't understand pokémon.

"Do we have to battle it to weaken it for the pokéball? My water pokémon should have the advantage..." Misty reached for her pokémon.

"Or we could just ask it," Ash suggested. "Pikachu could you go convince him?"

_Ah yes. Ambassador Pikachu, secret keeper and minion of all secret keeping trainers everywhere, _Pikachu commented, before jumping off Ash and onto the rock with the charmander. _Hey, what's up? _He asked the charmander.

_I'm waiting for my trainer, _the charmander responded nervously. _He said he'd come back for me here. And I'm perfectly fine, I don't need to go to the pokémon center right now. _

_All right, all right. They were just worried about you. I'll tell them to leave you be. _Pikachu jumped off the rock and faced Ash and co.

_Oh boy, time to mime playing charades. _Pikachu rolled his eyes. _I swear, keeping your secret gets annoying at times._

He made gestures indicating a necktie.

"A noose?" Ash guessed. He already knew what Pikachu was trying to say, but he had to act ignorant.

Pikachu hit him with a Thundershock.

_Try again idiot._

"A neck tie?" Brock guessed. "Like a human would wear? Is it a human?"

_He gets it and he doesn't even understand me. _Pikachu nodded to Brock and then shocked Ash again.

"Oh! Is he waiting for his trainer?" Misty asked the electric type.

_Cute and smart. _Pikachu shocked Ash again. _Oh why couldn't she have been my trainer. _The pokémon nodded towards Misty.

"My own pokémon likes my friends more than he likes me," Aaron whined from where he lay on the ground. "It's just not fair."

_Maybe you should get better at charades idiot, _Pikachu responded, walking over to his prone human friend. _Now get up and get walking. _

"I'm pretty sure he's merely mad at you for guessing noose," Brock said. "What could a noose possibly have to do with the situation?"

Ash swore under his breath.

Pikachu shocked him again.

_Language young man!_

* * *

><p>The pokémon center was in sight, just down the hill, when they felt the first raindrops. The trio, plus Pikachu, picked up their pace and ran to the pokémon center, small damp spots covering their clothes and their faces. They made it inside just as the rain started to pick up.<p>

_Oh yes. This just has to keep up until its night and then I can practice calling down and redirecting lightning! _Pikachu was rubbing his hands wiht glee, cheeks sparking.

"Why's he so happy?" Brock asked.

"I think he just likes storms," Ash replied.

_Bwhahahaha! Fear my power! _

Ash briefly wondered if being able to understand pokémon was a blessing. Then he shook his head and spaced back in.

They checked in with the nurse on duty (Who wasn't a Joy. Ash was elated to finally find a pokémon center without a Nurse Joy, but the on duty nurse informed him that her shift started in ten minutes. Ash felt much despair at the announcement.), gave her their pokémon, and then put their bags and Ash's staff/walking staff in their room. After that they got some food and sat down at a booth by a window.

"Don't forget to call Proffessor Oak later," Brock said between bites. "And see if Melanie called to check up on Bulbasaur. Or if the Squirtle Squad's liason wants to check up on Squirtle."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Ash mumbled, slowly eating his food. It was a trick he picked up in the wild in order to quell his hunger.

"I wonder if the charmander's okay," Misty said, looking out the window. "I hope his trainer managed to get back in time."

"Aaron, could you have Pidgeotto check on him later?" Brock asked. "We could go make him some shelter if necessary."

"What reason could his trainer have for leaving him out there?" Misty wondered.

"Preparing a surprise party, readying an obstacle course, survival training, defense training,..." Brock began to list off all the various reasons to leave a pokémon out in the wild for some time.

"Alright, alright, alright," Misty said waving her hands in surrender, "but I've got a bad feeling about it."

The group was silent for awhile as they ate, watching the rain fall out of the window, and listening to its patter.

"... and then I told that weakling that I'd be coming back for it." The peace was broken by a braying voice with an odd accent bragging loudly.

"You think its still there?" The trio turned to see a blue haired kid surrounded by various young trainers. They were sitting on the couches in the lounge. From the way their attention was on the blue haired trainer, and from the way they deferred to him, he seemed to be their leader.

"Charmander? If so, serves the idiot right." The blue haired boy smirked. "The rain'll kill him if he doesn't move. You know, I should be thanked for improving the species by getting that weak idiot killed-"

Something snapped in Ash at the arrogant trainer's words. His eyes flicked blue for an instant and he erupted from his seat, intent on smiting the blue haired boy.

But Brock and Misty were faster. Before Ash could take two steps, Misty had already gotten out of her seat and rushed the trainer. He squawked at the sudden assault and then let out a choked groan as her fist sunk into his stomach. She yanked him out of his seat, kicked him in his already beaten stomach, sending him stumbling back into Brock.

The Pewter city gym leader grabbed the blue haired trainer and put him in a painful looking hold. By this time the boy's friends were getting up and reaching for their pokémon.

That stopped when Pikachu jumped in front of them, his cheeks sparking, and glared.

"Now, what was that about about getting a charmander killed?" Brock growled.

"What's going on here!" Nurse Joy shift had evidently started, because she was the one rushing over and yelling at everyone. "What could have possessed you-"

"We overheard what could be construed as a conspiracy charge to murder a pokémon this trainer had abandoned," Brock explained, cutting off the blue haired trainer before he could talk.

"We weren't talking something like that. We were just shooting the crap!" One of the blue haired boys friends protested. "You can't prove anything."

"It's your word against theirs..." Nurse Joy said replied.

"Misty, Cerulean gym trainer. He's Brock, former Pewter city gym leader." Misty said, taking out her identification. "We'd like to request your cooperation in holding the subject. Could you go call out the security machops?"

Nurse Joy's eye's widened briefly in surprise as she examined Misty's identification.

"Machop! Jamie! Get out here!" She shouted behind her. Two machops came out of the doors to the working area and stood at attention before her.

Ash wondered why the security machops hadn't helped back at the Viridian pokémon center. But then he remembered that the center had gone into lock-down and they had probably been trapped.

"Restrain him," Joy told the two pokémon, gesturing towards the blue haired trainer, "and put him in the holding room."

"You can't do this to me!" The blue haired trainer tried to escape as Brock transferred him to the machops. "They're making all this up! They're probably not real gym people, they're fakes. They've got no proof! No proof I tell ya!"

"Her id checks out," Nurse Joy informed him, "and you're only being held until we can contact a League investigator. If you're innocent then this should be over quickly."

"You can't do this to me! I'll get you for this!" The trainer shouted, his voice getting higher and more desperate. "You'll regret this!"

"Nurse Joy, we need you to prep facilities for a charmander. It will probably be suffering from starvation and heat loss." Brock told the nurse. "Aaron, Misty, grab your rain coats. We need to go help Charmander."

The two younger trainers nodded and raced off to grab their bags. Pikachu jumped back on Ash's shoulder.

Ash got his blue raincoat first, shoved it on, and then ran outside to wait by the pokémon center entrance.

_Pikachu, you stay here. If we get in a fight out there you might hurt us by mistake. _The pokéraised child said to his pokémon.

_I did fine against the fearow, _protested the electric type.

_Yes, you did. But we're going to have a pokémon that's on the verge of death with us this time, more so than Misty was back then. You stay here. Since we're at a pokémon center, you can practice your lightning calling without me when the storm gets to that point. _

_Alright, fine. _

_Play it as safe as you can. Stop the instant you're feeling tired or something starts to hurt. _

_Yeah, yeah. I know the drill. I think I hear Brock and Misty coming. Stay safe idiot and make sure Charmander makes it bake okay. _

Brock and Misty burst out of the pokémon center doors, Brock wearing a green rain coat, Misty a purple one.

"Ready?" Brock asked.

"Ready," Ash called Aaron replied.

"Lets go then," and with that the three of them took off into the rain.

It was tough going back on the dirt path; here and there enough ran had accumulated to form patches of mud which tripped up the city folk and forced Ash to watch the path closely. The sky was constantly darkening, the rain intensifying, and the cold wind was picking up, the cutting edge of the chill blunted by their rain gear.

They scrambled and ran up hills, weaving between patches of mud, sliding, running, and stumbling down the downhill sides. They splashed through puddles and through mud, water and wet dirt sticking to their shoes, pants, and in Misty's case, bare legs.

The growing darkness made it difficult to navigate; Ash was forced to slow the group down from time to time to make sure they hadn't missed the trail south to the clearing.

"There," the child cried out, pointing to a gap in the trees. In the fading light, he could barely make out the dirt trail.

The trio dashed down it, heedless of grace in their attempt to save Charmander's life.

* * *

><p>Pikachu sat on the roof of the pokémon center, waiting in the rain for the storm to grow strong enough to produce lightning. He didn't mind the water or the cold wind, he was a wild pokémon who wasn't weak against water. He'd been through worse. And besides, warmth and shelter were only a couple seconds away if he needed a break.<p>

He could just wait in the warmth and shelter, but where was the fun in that?

One of his long ears twitched. He thought he could hear a commotion in the center down below.

Yep, definitely a commotion. He could hear the sounds of fighting, orders, a door splintering, some grunts, and call to get out of there.

The electric type looked down with interest, waiting for the agitators to come out. A bit of light spilled out into the prematurely dark evening as a group of trainers and some of their pokémon rushed out of the center.

"You okay Damion?" One asked. Pikachu squinted, trying to get a better look at who he was talking to. It was the scumbag who had abandoned Charmander.

Lightning flashed off in the distance. Pikachu looked over to where it had struck as the thunder rumbled in, anxious to begin practicing. But he knew he had to wait until Damion and his friends were gone.

"No! Those bastards, who do they think they are!" The blue haired trainer shouted. "I'll make them pay for that! Did you guys kill those machops?"

"No, we could barely hold them off," another one of his friends admitted. "And they knocked out most of our pokémon too."

"Then we'll have to get more," growled Damion. "Stronger ones. And then we'll come back and kill the nurses and the machops for this. And we'll have to get that bitch who hit me and that bastard gym leader."

"Do you really think we can could up against a gym leader? Or even a gym trainer?"

"Not to kill them shit head. We just need to hurt him in some way."

"What about that kid who was with them? He didn't seem to be connected to any gym. He might be a newbie that they're baby-sitting."

Was he hearing what he thought he was hearing. Pikachu started to growl.

"Yeah..." Damion started to tap his chin. "Yeah. That'll do. We'll kill him."

Pikachu's face was covered by a dark glare that seemed out of place on him. His cheeks sparked dangerously.

This being had threatened to kill Ash.

There was only one proper way to deal with it.

* * *

><p>Damion's earliest memories were of his mother. He remembered how she always smelled of fresh bread; how her eyes would sparkle when they caught the light; how her blue hair would shimmer in the sun. He remembered her holding him tight when nightmares plagued his sleep, when his childhood fear of the darkness got to him, when he was sick, or when his father was in one of his rages.<p>

He remembered her face as his father choked the life out of her.

"Help me bury the bitch." Damion remembered smelling the alcohol on his father's breath as he forced his young son to help hide the crime.

He remembered his father's fists, breaking bone and bruising flesh. He remembered all the bottle of western liqueur and of sake. He remembered being forced to clean up the drunken messes or face his father's wrath the next morning.

He even remembered the days before the man had turned to the bottle and crime. The man who had laughed with and played with him, who had held his mother tenderly.

Damion considered that man another victim of the drunkard.

The blue haired boy remembered what the drunkard always said to him when he thought his son was being defiant.

"If you want to force your will on the world, be sure to have the strength to back it up boy. Otherwise the world'll kill ya in the end."

He usually backhanded the boy after that.

Damion took the saying to heart. When he was of age he stole some pokéballs from his father and ran away. He would form his own pokémon team and his own gang. He would become stronger than the drunkard and would kill the man for what he had done to his family. He would become strong enough to force his will on the world so that nothing like the death of his mother would ever happen to him again.

He took only pokémon that were strong or had the potential to become strong. Same with pokémon trainers. They were all just starting out and the journey was a long one. Damion compensated with numbers, both with pokémon and with humans. He didn't want the drunk's liver to fail before he could carve it out of his living body after all.

Charmander, Damion had once thought, had the potential to become strong. But it failed to live up to its potential. Whether it was because the fire type was soft, or because he just wasn't meant for Damion's training methods didn't matter.

So Damion had left the lizard behind. And he decided to teach it one final lesson. Life was cruel, and humans were bastards. When enough time had passed, it would realize what Damion had done and his final lesson.

And if it failed to learn the lesson...

It would be warm before it died. Damion remembered something about when freezing to death, suddenly feeling warm was a sign of imminent death. And it would dream too. Dream that he returned for it most likely. It would be a good, kind, gentle death. And the lizard would remain innocent of the evil nature of the world. Let it die like that.

It was a better fate than most got.

Not that Damion cared of course. He had washed his hands of the matter.

If he had to laugh at its death to convince himself of that, then he would do so. And ignore the horrible feeling beneath.

As for the pokémon center that had imprisoned him, the nurses and the machop, he would teach their part of the world that they didn't have the strength to force their will on him. He would kill them all and thus part of the world.

He wasn't strong enough to kill gym members yet, but he could show them they lacked strength as well. He would kill their friend and leave his body for them to find. Let them regret their actions and learn their lesson.

He looked up into the storm. Yes. Let them all learn. Let the world learn. Let the drunken bastard learn.

His vision went white, lighting overwhelming his senses, there was a deafening crack, like the shattering of mountains, and he found himself lying on his back. His body felt like it had been scorched by the flames of Moltres and he stared blankly upward for a second.

Then he started to force himself up. All around him, his comrades and their pokémon were scattered. Some groaned and moved. Others were still.

What had happened?

Damion heard a noise. He looked up, at the pokémon center roof. He could make out a small shape, but nothing else in the dark of the storm.

"Pika pi." Those were the last words Damion ever heard.

His world went white once more and then everything that he was fell into nothingness.

* * *

><p>Ash sat a flicking dot of orange through the trees ahead, where he could hear voices.<p>

_You're going to die anyway, so just surrender and let us eat you while you're still warm! _A spearow's voice.

_No! Go away before my trainer gets back and hurts you. _Charmander's voice.

Shrieks and caws.

"Pidgeotto, go protect Charmander!" Ash shouted, throwing the pokéball. There was a blaze of white light in the darkness and then Pidgeotto appeared. She immediately flew forward towards the light. He could hear the sounds of her wings beating and the spearows crying out in fear and pain.

_Get out of here you. _Ash's pokémon cawed. _He's a trainer's pokémon and we're taking him to the pokémon center. _

"Good job Pidgeotto," the trainer told his pokémon, as he and his human friends arrived in the clearing. "You can return now."

_And dry off, _the flying type commented before becoming red light.

"Nice job Aaron," Brock said as he examined the charmander. He had been trying to shield his tail fire with a large leaf with minimal success. The fire was close to going out and the charmander's body was racked with chills.

"Someone's going to need to shield the flames while I carry him," Brock moved to pick up the fire type.

"On it," Ash said, whipping off his rain coat and using it to protect the small fire. Instantly the heavy rain began to soak through his clothes, allowing the cold wind to chill him to the bone.

"Aaron," Misty began worriedly, but she left her statement die unsaid.

"Fine. Then lets hurry." Brock lifted up Charmander and Ash made sure the life flame was protected. Ash and Brock took off back down the path first, Misty following closely behind. She kept an eye on Aaron, her face carefully neutral.

It was getting too dark to see properly. The only reason they knew that they were still on the path was the lack of tree trunks to the face. Brock and Aaron had to sacrifice speed in order to keep Charmander safe, but they both knew that clock was ticking for the fire type. It grated on their nerves and they wished to sprint all the way back, but both knew that it was infeasible.

When they reached the end of the trail and the beginning of Route Twenty-Four they paused. Nobody remembered which way they had cone and it was too dark to make out the landmarks.

Then lightning struck to their left, briefly illuminating everything. Before the thunder reached them, lighting struck again. And again.

Ash knew which way the pokémon center was after that.

"This way!" The pokéraised child shouted over the din of the storm, over the wind whipping the plant life, over the pounding of the rain, and before the arrival of the thunder.

It was worse going back then it had been leaving. Mud was everywhere, forcing them to slog up and down hills, slipping and sliding, desperately struggling to hold onto the fire type and keep his flame shielded. The fire type would occasionally moan about being cold, or muttering something nonsensical. Ash struggled to stop his coat from being ripped out of his grip or out of position by the wind, all the while trying to keep his shivering under control.

Arceus, he hadn't been so cold since he had been lost in the snow when he was five or six. Poison Lance had been beside himself with worry and hadn't let Ash out of his sight for weeks. The child wondered what the weedle would have to say about his current situation if he was with them.

_What in the name of all the legendaries are you doing! I could have woven some covering in seconds. Get over here, I'll have to make you a raincoat now. _

Of course they might not have been in this situation if the old pokémon had been with them.

Another wave of shivering wracked Ash's body. Charmander wasn't the only one who needed to reach the pokémon center soon.

He recognized this hill. It was the one with the pokémon center at the bottom. They were almost there.

Lightning flashed again by the center, the bolt twisted into an unusual shape. Now Brock and Misty knew that they were close.

It was difficult to resist the temptation to cover the remaining distance in a mad dash, but they managed. Misty ran ahead of the two boys and opened the door to the center. Brock and Ash ran inside to find Nurse Joy waiting, with a couple of chanseys carrying stretchers nearby.

"Give him here," she ordered. Brock complied, while Ash fell back against the center wall, sliding down to collapse into a shivering heap. "You two, grab him and take him back with us," Nurse Joy continued, indicating Ash. "We'll be keeping him under observation as well."

Ash felt two pairs of arms slide under his shoulders and gently lift him up. His constant shivering made it difficult for Brock and Misty to keep their gentle grip. But they helped Aaron hobble after Joy and the pokémon center pokémon.

* * *

><p>Nurse Joy took no chances with the health of her patients, both the pokémon and the human. Two chanseys knocked themselves out using Healing Wish to revitalize and temporarily stabilize the pair. Another chansey stood on duty, ready to use Healing Pulse if necessary.<p>

Ash was stripped, rubbed down with heated blankets, and then wrapped up in heavy comforters. He was given a cup of hot chocolate and told to wait.

Charmander was hooked up to some machinery and put into a special chamber meant to treat fire types. There was a chansey monitoring him the whole time the machine went to work on him. When the medical staff decided that the treatment was over he was moved into the bed next to Ash.

Brock and Misty stayed for a bit, before Ash shooed them away, telling them to go get some sleep.

Pikachu fell asleep next to Ash's pillow, and the pokémon center staff had all turned in for the night. Charmander and Ash were the only two awake beings in the room.

Ash rolled onto his side and looked at Charmander.

_So, you going to be alright? _He asked the fire type.

_Yeah- Did you just speak properly? _

_Yep. _

_Why'd you have Pikachu do all the talking earlier then? _

_Have to keep this a secret from other humans. _

_Why? _

_Long story. But are you going to be alright? _

_I think so. I'll stick around til the morning to make sure. _

_Only until the morning? Where are you off to after that? _

_Back to the rock. I've got to wait for my trainer. _

Ash took a second to think about what he was going to say next.

_I'm not sure if Damion's planning on coming back. _

_What do you mean!? And how do you know his name!? _

_We ran into him at this pokémon center. We overheard him talking about what he did to you. He was talking about how he left you there and how you thought he was coming back. _

_He was planning to return!_

_No. He was discussing whether or not you had realized he wasn't coming back in time to get out of the rain. _

_You're lying! _

_How do think I learned his name. He and his friends were talking in the lounge. _

_You're lying! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! _

_I'm telling the truth. He wasn't planning on coming back for you. _

_You're lying! _ Charmander was shouting now. _You have to be!_

_I'm not. He's being held here for for what he did. Right Pikachu, _Ash asked, knowing that the shouting probably had woke Pikachu up.

_Actually, he and his friends overwhelmed the security machops and escaped, _Pikachu replied, the only lie being the last word in his sentence. No need to worry Ash or hurt Charmander. _You can ask the chanseys and machops later. _

_No! _Charmander was screaming now. _You're lying! He wouldn't do that... no. _His voice was a whisper now. _Why would he do that? He said I could get strong. _

Ash sighed. He didn't really get humans or scumbags. How was he supposed to understand the motivations of a human scumbag?

_I don't know. Maybe he thought you were better off in the wild. Maybe he was just an idiot. Maybe he was planning on coming back for you in a year or so, after you had to fend for yourself in a new environment. You aren't from around here, right? _

_No, I'm from by Rock Tunnel. _

_He could have been doing some survival training then. I don't know. I'm not him or a psychic, so I can't tell you what was going through his head. All I know is that he put your life in danger and wasn't trying to do anything about it. _

_Shut up, _Charmander hissed. He rolled over so that he was facing away from Ash. _Damion... _Pikachu was able to pick up on the grief filled word and the following subdued sobs thanks to his long ears. Ash wasn't able to.

_Damion might've had what he thought were good reasons for what he did. I don't know. But, personally, I think he was wrong. You were out there for how many days, stuck on that rock without food, and then you managed to last that long in the rain before we came and got you? You might need some work, but in my book, you're pretty strong. _

_Do you mean that? _Charmander sniffed, still facing away from Ash.

_Of course. _

_But I lose all the time. I couldn't even handle those spearows. _

_I don't know about your other matches, but you had been through a lot before the spearows tried to eat you. _

_I've lost to grass types. _

_And I know a bulbasaur who's fought off groups of fire types. You probably just need a better trainer then Damion. I know some people who could help you find one. Either Professor Oak, or some people in the League. _

_Or you could just take him, _Pikachu interjected. _He's a great trainer, despite being an idiot,_ the electric type told Charmander. _And there's the side benefit of being the only human that I know of how can understand us. _

_Pikachu!_ Ash scolded. _That's-_

_Would you take me? Even though I'm weak?_ Charmander asked, rolling over to face Ash again. His eyes were wide and watery, tears leaking down his face.

_If you wanted me to, but- _Ash was interrupted by a flying hug from the fire type.

_Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I promise you I won't stay weak. I'll get strong! _

_If that's your goal, then I'll help you,_ Ash said, resting his hand on the fire type's head. _Welcome to the team I guess._

* * *

><p>"And we still don't know where Damion got off to," Brock complained. "Or any of his friends. The only thing we found were some pokémon tracks leading away from the center, and none of their pokémon were big enough to ride."<p>

Pikachu nodded. He had used the opportunity to practice using his ability to control and direct electricity to maximize the destructive potential of lightning. Repeated attempts had eventually turned even the bones into ashes that were carried away by the wind.

A fitting end for anyone who threatened his trainer's life.

"And I still can't believe Aaron managed to catch Charmander overnight," Misty fumed

"I didn't catch him," Ash protested. "He ran and got one of my pokéballs himself. He wanted to come with."

"That's not what I'm complaining about," Misty said, crossing her arms and turning her head away from him. "I'm complaining about your unbelievable luck. Pokémon are just throwing themselves at you to join your team."

"Misty, its not that uncommon for pokémon to do that from time to time. Aaron's just on a streak." Brock said. "But we should be focusing on Damion. He's probably got a grudge against us-"

"I've already sent word to my sisters," Misty said, waving away his worries. "They'll be sending word to the League and then some ranger or investigator will be sent to track him down. Instead we should be worrying about how to get to Vermilion city faster. I think I've found a shortcut-"

"No."

"But Aaron-"

"No."

"Come on-"

"No."

"If she's got a shortcut," Brock began.

"No."

"Aaron-"

"No more shortcuts. We're taking this route to Vermilion city," he growled, gesturing with his staff, " and we're not deviating, not taking any more shortcuts, tricks, or hidden paths. I've had enough of you two complaining about being lost for now."

And with that Ash Ketchum, called Aaron Autumns, marched down the road to Vermilion city, Brock and Misty following behind him.


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I do not own pokemon.

Author's note: For everybody asking about when Brock and Misty find out about Ash and his past, what makes you think its going to be that simple. Or if it will be that simple, I'll foreshadow, hint at, let you guess, or let you know that it will be that simple?

* * *

><p>It was another bright and sunny day, as the group finally made it to Vermilion City. They were all dirty and travel stained from their journey.<p>

"Finally!" Misty exclaimed. "How long have we been trying to find this place?"

"A while," answered Brock.

"I told you I wouldn't get us lost again," Ash said, moving forward again.

"Yes you did," Brock replied. "I'm sorry. I just thought that since Misty got us lost once and I got us lost once that it was your turn to get us lost."

Ash twitched.

"I really need to hit the laundromat," Brock said sniffing.

"And I need to hit the hot springs," Misty said, eyes gleaming excitedly. "I can't wait to get all this dirt off."

Ash and Pikachu rolled their eyes. Everyone was only a little dirty. A quick dip in a creek would be enough to wash off most of the dirt. Heck, Squirtle could give them a quick shower and that would take care of it. And Brock had only been wearing those clothes for several days. They didn't require washing yet. Sheesh, city folks.

"Alright," Brock clapped his hands together. "Lets go do our things and then meet at the pokémon center-"

He was interrupted by loud rumblings from Ash and Pikachu's stomachs. The gym leader looked at the pair with an amused gaze.

"Or we can stop and get something to eat first."

* * *

><p>They were sitting at an outdoor cafe, enjoying the fresh air without having to move for once. Ash ordered the cheapest thing on the menu, the influence of his currency deficient upbringing. Pikachu sat on the table and snacked on some appetizers.<p>

"So is this your guy's first time to Vermilion City?" Brock asked between bites.

"No. I had to come here with my sisters for a couple of conferences," Misty replied before taking a sip of her drink through a straw.

"I've never been here before," the boy called Aaron and named Ash replied. "Why? You been here?"

"Yeah, I've had to visit a couple times."

"Then why couldn't you find your way here then," Ash asked, not amused in the slightest.

"I took a bus, so you can stuff your attitude." Brock shot Aaron a glare. "So, Misty, what cities have you been to?"

"Everyone other than Fuchsia and Lavender Town. My sisters always took me with on gym business."

"That must have been fun," Aaron commented.

"Not really. I was stuck in hotels most of the time or on a bus seat." Misty looked out at the city. "I would've rather stayed behind and trained."

"Oh. What about you Brock? What did you do in the cities?"

"Attended League meetings." Brock said before eating another bite of his meal.

"That all?"

"That's all," Brock replied. "These will be my first informal visits to all of those cities."

"Are you planning to stop by Lavender Town?" Misty asked Aaron.

"Yeah." One of Poison Lance's old comrades lived there. He wanted to meet the ghost pokémon and say hi before going on to Saffron City.

"Well that was good," Brock said, pushing away his empty plate. "You two don't worry about the check, I got that."

Aaron started to protest, but Brock cut him off.

"Consider it an apology for getting us lost. I'll see you guys at the pokémon center this evening."

Misty pushed away her plate as well.

"Sure. I'll probably be at the hot springs if you need me. Just send in one of your pokémon." She told the two boys.

"Why can't we just go in?" Asked the child raised by pokémon in the wild.

Aaron seeing her naked... Misty's cheeks turned pink with embarrassment and then red with rage. The 'Fist of Female Fury' shot out to shake the boy but Brock gently put a hand on her wrist.

"He means go and ask for the front desk to send someone to fetch you. Some Kanto establishments don't allow pokémon inside. He wasn't thinking about peeking." The former gym leader told the gym trainer, calming her down.

"Oh. Right. Sorry, all the places in Cerulean city let pokémon in." Misty said, calming down. "Yeah just ask for me at the front desk."

"Sure," Ash replied. Why would he want to peek on her bathing anyway? In fact, why did they have separate boy and girl bathes anyway?

Of course! Girls had to have some sort of hygiene secret! That's why they tended to smell cleaner then boys. And the reason for the separate bathes was so the girls could keep that secret from the boys. And that's why boys kept trying to peek!

He'd have to ask his pokémon to spy on the girls sometime and retrieve the secret. Or help other guys get it. It would be only fair.

* * *

><p>Before the two gym members left, Ash made sure to grab some directions to the local PokéMart. He finished his food and then followed them to the store. Ash had made sure to get his pokémon's requests before they arrived at the city and purchased their favorite foods, some more pokéballs, and a couple of potions.<p>

After that, he and Pikachu looked around for a park without a lot of people there. It took them awhile, they had no idea where they were going after all, but they managed to do so after an hour of searching. Plenty of trees to screen himself from the people of the city, plenty of pokémon and trainers so they wouldn't seem unusual.

He released all his pokémon from their pokéballs, sat down, and then started to pass out the food.

"All right, berry pot pie for Pidgeotto. Some beedrill honey, fortified with extra sugar for Butterfree. Some pokéchow for Pikachu. A bit of fish flavored to taste like krabby for Squirtle. A packaged of mix vegetables for Charmander. Some nutrient water, fortified dirt, and a bit of beef for Bulbasaur."

_Thanks idiot, _Pikachu said, before taking a bite of his food. _But you already gave me some food. _

Ash glanced around to make sure there were no humans around.

_We're alone, _Butterfree assured him. _I can't sense anybody. _

_Okay, thanks. Yeah, but I figured you might still be hungry, and most of that's for later, _Ash said to his starter.

_Fine, _Pikachu said, munching on the chow. _But don't blame me if I starting gaining weight. _

_Actually, if anything, you've started to lose a little bit, _Ash informed the electric type.

_What! _

_Only a very little bit. Hardly noticeable. _A small grin snuck onto Ash's face as he reassured his pokémon.

_But-but-but my perfectly plump pikachu figure! Do you know how hard I worked to get that? _

_Not very, _Ash answered.

_Right, I was born with it. But do you know how hard I must've worked in a past life to get that sort of karma! _

_Meh,_ Ash said, waving away Pikachu's concerns. _Anyway I wanted to talk about the upcoming gym battle-_

_I'll fight it,_ Charmander exclaimed. _I'll show you how good your training was. _

The image of Charmander on the rock, in the rain, his tail fire burning so weakly, looking so very fragile, briefly flashed through Ash's mind.

_Actually I was thinking of using Bulbasaur for the defensive type advantage, _Ash told his pokémon.

_Oh. _Charmander looked a bit downcast. _That makes sense._

_So all those training sessions with Pikachu are going to pay off. I wonder if there'll be any as fast as him. _Bulbasaur looked up from his food._ Should we come up with a strategy before hand?_

_Nah, we don't know what pokémon he'll have. Just remember not to grab them with Vine Whip, _Ash warned.

_Yes, I know that's just asking for a shock,_ Bulbasaur acknowledged the warning.

_If he uses a Raichu I'm fighting it, _Pikachu declared.

_What's with you and Raichus? _Squirtle asked. _Grudges aren't very cool._

_It's a long story. _

_We've got time, _Ash told his pokémon. _You can at least give us the short version. _

_I'd really rather not. It's sort of private. _

_Alright I'll quit prying then, _Ash said with a shrug.

_I'll tell you some day. _Pikachu's ears perked up when Ash patted his head.

_It's okay. I was just curious. _The trainer reassured his pokémon. _Anyway, we've got some other things to worry about. It's come to my attention that human female are in the possession of a powerful hygiene secret... _

* * *

><p>It took Ash Ketchum until that evening to find the pokémon center after the impromptu and unproductive conference on hygiene secrets . He really couldn't find his way around cities, anymore than Brock or Misty could navigate the wilderness. He probably should have asked them for directions during lunch.<p>

The trainer checked his pokémon in with Nurse Joy (he had finally accepted the fact that they were everywhere), sat down in the waiting room, and started to read one of the books the Pallet pokémon had stolen for him as a going away present. It was a book on interesting facts about chemistry. Ash figured that he could pick up a couple of tricks from it.

A while later Brock arrived at the center.

"Hey," the rock type specialist said, sitting down next to the pokéraised child. "How long have you been here?"

"A bit," Aaron shrugged, not looking up from his book.

"What did you do after lunch?"

"Went to the PokéMart. Fed my pokémon at the park." Got lost in another maze that was called a city, but no need to mention that to Brock. "What did you do?"

"Dropped off a load at the laundromat and browsed the stores. I also looked around for a reputable breeder to get some tips, but it turns out that there's a conference going on at Cinnabar." Brock sighed. "I was really hoping for some tips on how to get started."

"Hey guys!" Misty had arrived, the dirt and grime of travel washed away. "Huh. I thought I'd be the first one here."

"Nah, Aaron was," Brock informed the red haired trainer.

"Eh," Misty shrugged. "The hot springs here are amazing. And it felt so good to be the water again."

The twin doors to the center burst open and a chansey wheeled in a singed pidgey, a young trainer following close behind. They rushed into the back end of the pokémon center. Aaron, Brock, and Misty got up to more closely observe what was happening.

"Another one from the gym?" Nurse Joy asked the chansey, who nodded.

"Honestly Lt. Surge needs to calm down. It's the fifth today." The nurse shook her head sadly. "I feel sorry for all those trainers and pokémon going up against him."

Oh great. Reassuring. Like he needed more performance anxiety, Ash thought to himself.

"What's his beef?" Misty asked, looking a little pale. She was a trainer who had nothing but water pokémon, an out of control gym leader with electric pokémon was a very worrying situation.

"It might be time for him to retire," Brock said, resting his chin in his hand. "Or he's just screwing with everybody. He fought in the Great War you know. He likes to talk about how he used electric pokémon to paralyze his enemies."

"What!" Misty's eyes went wide with surprise. "But he doesn't look old."

"Yeah, I'm not sure what's going on with him. Could be related to his size."

Powerful, old, and experienced. Great. Oh, and evidently big.

He sighed internally. This upcoming gym battle was not going to be fun.

Brock and Misty checked their pokémon in and Ash retrieved his. The two gym leaders then reminded him to call Professor Oak and to check to see if anyone wanted to talk to him while they checked up on the status of the Damion investigation.

(Pikachu made sure to act casually while they discussed that last topic.)

Ash sat down at the videophone and punched in the number.

* * *

><p>James looked down at his handheld.<p>

"The twerp's in Vermilion City," he told the other members of his group.

"Really now. And it's so close..." Jessie looked thoughtful.

"We don't have time for that right now," Meowth said, looking up from his work. "We've got to get the preparations for this next operation finished, and then we got to carry it out. The twerp's going to have to wait."

"I suppose you're right," James sighed. They hadn't seen the twerp in a little while. It would be nice to try and recruit him again, even if he did insist on calling them good guys.

* * *

><p>Ash didn't have much to say to say to Professor Oak, other than to inform the man, that yes, they did finally make it to Vermilion City. Melanie had used her newly installed videophone to leave him a message inquiring about Bulbasaur's condition. Ash let the grass type out and called her back. He really wished that he didn't have to keep his secret, those two could really use a translator.<p>

There was a brief update from the Squirtle Squad liaison, sent via text message to Aaron Autumn's name. Things had been going smoothly and the new leader had proven himself able.

Professor Oak had also reminded Aaron to call his parents, to let them know how he was doing. After suppressing the brief flash of pain and grief, the pokéraised child briefly considered sending a messenger pokémon to talk to Poison Lance for him. But it wouldn't be practical.

_So we're going up against Surge tomorrow, right? _Pikachu asked, tail twitching as he investigated a new smell. _No backing out, no getting lost, and hopefully no Rocket attacks? _

_Actually I hope Team Rocket attacks us at the gym tomorrow,_ Ash said, looking around to make sure no one was listening._ There's no way they'd get away after that._

_I'm looking forward to fighting gym pokémon, _Bulbasaur said. _I want to see how I compare. _

_This is going to be a first for me as well. Brock said himself that he's the weakest gym leader and I never had to fight Misty's sisters. _Ash informed the green pokémon.

_Wait, why didn't you have to battle them for the badge? _Bulbasaur asked.

_Because I saved Misty from a crazy flock of spearows led by a fearow who wanted to eat her eyes. It's how Pikachu learned to call down lightning._

_Right, right, right. You mentioned that before. It's how you two met, right? _

_Yep. First day of the journey too, _Ash said proudly.

_An auspicious start. Let's see if we can make it more extraordinary tomorrow, eh Ash. _Bulbasaur smirked.

_Remember, I got dibs on any Raichus! _Pikachu piped up.

_I forgot to ask. Pikachu, do you know Swift? _

_Not really, _admitted the electric pokémon. _I can manage a couple of weak stars, but that's it. I haven't really practiced it much. When are we going to work on that? _

_Don't know. Your speed and agility training has been going nicely. _

_Also increased my pain tolerance, _Pikachu grumbled.

_And my accuracy, _Bulbasaur said smugly.

_Your electric control could use some work-_

_I can bend Thunder around trees!_ Pikachu protested. And_ I've even started to sense electric charges. _

_And_ _you really need some more work on your endurance-_

_We've been working on that alongside my speed and agility. You never let me take breaks._ Pikachu complained.

_And there's a lot more we could be doing, _Ash finished. _Honestly, I don't really see the need for you to learn Swift. Any opponent you can't outrun or shock probably won't be bothered much by Swift. _

_Fine. So what's next?_ Pikachu huffed and crossed his forelimbs.

Ash looked at the clock.

_How about dinner, some T.V., and then bed? _

_Monster movies! _

* * *

><p>Ash's nerves about the upcoming gym match, combined with having to sleep indoors again, resulted in another nightmare.<p>

They never began the same way twice. Sometimes it was night, sometimes it was day. Some days and nights there were clouds and storms; others were clear.

This time it was a sunny day. He was out on a yard that stirred the vaguest hints of recognition in him, sitting on some plastic patio furniture. There was a man with dark black hair, and a women with brown hair and golden brown eyes. She was smiling at him and looked so very proud.

And then a white beam took off one of the man's arms. Shapes, dark and indistinct,even in the sunlight, swarmed the woman. She was torn into chunks, flesh and blood everywhere, entrails hanging off the back of the chair, bits of organ scattered about the table.

And then Misty was on the yard. She looked around sightlessly; her eyes were nothing but wrinkled empty sockets, leaking blood. Bits of her optic nerves hung out, red fibers brushing against the edge of her nose.

Flying dark shapes swarmed her and she disappeared. In her place lay Charmander, his flame weak. He looked up and gave a shuddering sigh. His fire went out and he crumbled into dust.

The yard shattered and was replaced by a burning forest. Mareep was standing before him, standing between Ash and the dark shapes. His electric fire flared out, yellow light warring with orange light, and then faded. The electric sheep fell to the ground and didn't move again.

The dark shapes rushed for Ash-

Multicolored light shone, the dark shapes vanishing when it fell upon them. It consumed the fires, the trees, and the fear.

Ash floated peacefully within the light's embrace and then returned to dreamless sleep.

* * *

><p><em>You okay? <em>Pikachu asked Ash, sitting on a bench outside of the showers. _I think you had another nightmare last night. _

_Maybe. I vaguely recall something troubling me last night, but I don't remember anything, _the pokéraised child responded. _You are keeping a lookout, right? _

_Yes, _Pikachu replied, rolling his eyes. _We're the only two here. Why you taking a shower now? I thought you usually saved those for right before you left town. _

_Nerves. Sometimes the hot water helps calm me down and I want to be at my best when facing Lt. Surge. _

_Even though you're not going to be the one doing all the fighting? _

_Hey, I've got to impress him as well, _Ash told Pikachu._ At least if he's not using a testing team or whatever they call it. Besides, keeping calm will help me think clearly, and that's something you all could use. Don't want to get hurt because of my idiocy. _

_Hey, you finally admitted you're an idiot! _

_Why else would I keep you around? _

_Ouch, straight to the heart, _Pikachu said, clutching his chest and falling backward.

Ash rolled his eyes and returned to scrubbing shampoo out of his hair.

* * *

><p>The Vermilion City gym was an impressively large structure. It consisted of six main parts, a rounded hub area connected to what looked like five large warehouses. Four of the things were crawling with repair crews.<p>

Ash, Pikachu standing proudly on his shoulder, led the way into the gym.

He was greeted by an absolutely massive man, easily the biggest he had ever seen. He had spiked blond hair, caramel colored skin, and an evident distaste for covering his chest, as evidenced by his lack of undershirt. The gym leader wore a military jacket and trousers.

"Oi, oi, oi! More challengers!" The man boomed. "I've been looking forward to today's batch! I'm Lt. Surge, the gym leader, and I'll be- Wait, Brock? And is that little Misty? What are you two doing here? Brock, how in hell did you get away from your gym?"

"My dad returned," Brock answered.

"Oh the deadbeat finally showed his face again? About damn time! And Misty, your sister's finally let you go?"

"Yeah. It was tough but I finally convinced them I could handle myself," the red haired trainer told the large gym leader.

"Glad to hear it. Are you two here to challenge me? Me and my pokémon could use a good match, we haven't had one in weeks."

"Actually, he's the one here to challenge you," Misty said, jerking her thumb over her shoulder to point at Ash. "Neither of us have actual destinations, so we decided to keep him company."

"Oh, and who's this baby?" Surge asked. He always liked to get under the skin of new trainers. Their indignant expressions were priceless.

Unfortunately Ash disappointed him.

"I'm Aaron Autumns, sir." Ash replied calmly. He needed to make the best impression possible in order to get a badge, because there was almost no way he was going to beat this guy.

Almost no way. Which meant that there was a chance. Ash's confidence started to rise again.

"Oh, so the baby's got some manners. Didya teach it to your baby pokémon as well?" Lt. Surge smirked. Aaron's expression didn't change, although his stance became a little prouder, but he really riled up that pikachu on the kid's shoulder.

"With all due respect, I wouldn't call Pikachu a baby," Aaron replied.

"Really? Then why doesn't he look like-" There was a flash of white light and a raichu stood before the gym leader."-this then?"

_Oh and we're going to be fighting pikachu's now? I can't wait to get some real opponents. _The newcomer sneered at Pikachu.

Pikachu leapt off Ash's shoulder and glared at the evolved pokémon.

_I can't wait to make you eat those words, _Ash's pokémon growled.

"It looks like the baby pokémon's got a temper. What do ya say? My Raichu vs your Pikachu?" Surge offered. He figured he could use the fight to demonstrate some tricks for electric pokémon that the kid show know. Having Raichu face another electric pokémon would also be nice practice for his own training.

"Fine!" Oh, he evidently managed to push the right buttons, Aaron was angry.

Surge smirked. This would be fun.

* * *

><p>"For this match the participants will only use one pokémon each!" The gym member officiating the fight announced. They were in one of the warehouses. Windows lined the walls near the ceiling, allow light to all onto the grey cement floor below. Girders formed the rafters from which electric lights hung. "The fight will continue until one side gives up or is unable to continue. There will be no time limit-"<p>

Surge smirked.

"If I can't beat him in five minutes, then he wins!" The gym leader called out. Give the kid a little hope. He'd pay more attention to the battle that way.

Ash had to bite his tongue to stop himself from saying that he would beat Surge in four minutes.

"Very well. If the match lasts five minutes without a conclusive result, victory will automatically be rewarded to the challenger, Aaron Autumns."

"Ready kid?" Surge asked. In front of him Raichu smirked. He crossed his arms and sparks flew from his cheeks in a menacing manner.

"Yeah!" Ash replied growing more and more excited. Battling felt so right for some reason.

"Begin!" Shouted the official. Ash wasted no time.

"Pikachu, Speed Burst!"

"Raichu, Thundershock!"

Pikachu blurred and then was concealed by blinding yellow light. Raichu was covered in an electric cornea, a black shape among the buzzing yellow power being emitted. The atmosphere became electrified; Misty let out an indignant squawk as her hair became frazzled. Violent, writhing, tentacles of electricity lashed all over the battle area, stopping just short of the white lines that marked its boundaries. Where they passed the floor was torn up like clay beneath a child's fingers, sending derbies flying all over. Windows shattered, shards of glass falling downwards only to be reduced to dust in the electric storm. Girders above started to glow from the heat produced by the electricity flowing through them.

Pikachu ran through the storm, seeking the ever shifting nodes of safety he could sense. He ducked and dodged stray bolts that erupted from blinding yellow mass of power all around him, trying to keep up with the movements of the small spots of safety.

There- that was it!

And then, after three quarters of a minute, it quit, leaving a cloud of dust to settle over the battlefield.

When it cleared everyone could see Pikachu, using his tail to stand up, on a tiny patch of undamaged floor. He had sensed where the attack would go and sped for the closest safe spot.

Ash let out a tiny sigh of relief. That attack had been almost beyond belief. No wonder the pokémon center was filled. But Pikachu had avoid it and certainly Raichu couldn't launch more-

"You've got the first pokémon to make it through that this week," Surge announced. "Good. I was afraid this would be boring." Evidently Aaron was lucky or already knew about using a sustained electric attack to reduce the chances of the enemy evading and probably coached his pikachu on how to deal with it.

"And you've started making combinations I see. Speed Burst was it? A combination of Agility and Quick Attack, am I correct?"

Ash stayed silent. They hadn't been using the combination for very long, but he hadn't expected anyone to see through it quite yet. No need to confirm or deny Surge's assumption.

"Not giving information to the enemy I see," Surge commented, smiling. "Good. Very good. Raichu, Thundershock again, but more powerful this time."

Ash and Pikachu's jaws dropped. Impossible!

But it was. This time it was like the entire field was covered by a solid mass of electric power, grinding the rubble to dust, removing all the glass from the windows, and even leaking out the empty holes. Bolts of electricity curved around the edges of the roof and streamed together before shooting skyward. Ash had to shield his eyes from the brilliant light in front of him, but he never quit trying to look at it.

It may have looked like a solid mass at first glance, but Ash could tell that the solidity was an illusion. In reality the attack was an ever shifting cloud of electric tendrils. There were temporary safe spots here and there.

_Come on Pikachu, _he said under his breath, voice inaudible compared to the crackling of Raichu's attack.

The attack ended after nearly a minute and this time there was no dust cloud. Any dust would have been obliterated.

Pikachu stood on all fours, fur singed and smoking, but he was mostly unharmed.

"Excellent!" Surge cried out. "You're the best this week!"

They'd never win if they didn't grab the initiative.

"Pikachu, get him!" Ash ordered. Pikachu started to run and then disappeared from sight.

Time to show the kid a thing or two about the defensive potential of electric pokémon.

"Storm Barrier! Mode two!" Surge ordered. Instantly a bubble of electricity flared up around Raichu, buzzing ominously. Pikachu barely saw it in time in time to avoid getting himself electrocuted. He tumbled through the air, barely able to recover in time to land. He sensed Raichu targeting him and jumped as soon as he landed. Less then an instant later, too fast for Pikachu to register, a single bolt hammered down the area he had been landed. The pokémon's heart skipped a beat as he felt the heat from the strike wash over him.

The amount of power in that attack would have been dangerous to use on a pokémon that wasn't high level or didn't have a defensive type advantage against electricity. Pikachu gulped. Surge and his pokémon had decided to up their game and play for keeps.

Ash figured out that 'Mode Two' for Storm Barrier must have meant that Raichu should strike if he saw an opening. And somehow he had managed to keep the Storm Barrier up.

Ash gulped. This was on an entirely different level. The only thing that had allowed them to last this long was the control training he had made Pikachu do. Without the ability to sense electric charges, there was no way he could have avoided any of those attacks.

They needed a strategy. And he needed to understand the Storm Barrier move better.

"Pikachu, Speed Burst and Thunder!" Ash ordered. It would burn a lot of energy, but hopefully the endurance training would pay off now.

Pikachu nodded and sped up. He moved in a random pattern around the Raichu, who waited safely behind his electric barrier. The electric mouse summoned up his own electricity and unleashed a Thunder. The blast of electricity arced up and then came down to hit the barrier with no effect.

Surge didn't even need to tell Raichu how to counter. The orange pokémon let loose a Thunderbolt, which shattered Pikachu's Thunder into smaller streams of electricity that hit the ground and died out. The counter failed to reach Pikachu himself, the attack just missing the end of his tail.

Surge frowned. It was good to see that the Pikachu already knew Thunder, but that had been a stupid move. Just what had Aaron been trying to do?

Ash had watched the whole exchange keenly. Raichu's barrier had shifted slightly, power flowing to the area being struck and away from the nearby areas. Yes, he could work with that.

Ow, he had given himself a static shock. Oh, wow, he could actually every hair on his body standing up. The air felt potent, filled with static electricity.

Two more tests to do.

"Pikachu, Four Point Thundershock!"

Pikachu kept running as he obeyed his trainer. He glowed yellow as he scrunched up his cheeks and fired off a Thundershock consisting of four bolts arcing up and then falling down around Raichu. Each bolt hit a point on Raichu's barrier, forming a pattern like the directions of a compass. Raichu's attack flew through the center, once again missing Pikachu by the barest of margins.

Ash nodded to himself. Yes, each spot struck by Pikachu's attack had been reinforced by drawing energy from the surrounding parts. But because Pikachu had struck multiple places there had been some overlap in the power drain. That meant that some parts were temporarily much weaker.

Surge had quit frowning. The Thunder had been a probing attack and so had the Thundershock. But what had Aaron noticed? Surge wanted to find out, so he let Aaron make the next move.

One last test.

"Pikachu, blast the ground around Raichu."

Pikachu trusted Ash enough not to question the orders during the battle. Afterwards he would shout his trainer's ear off until he got a satisfactory explanation, but for now he complied. Another electric attack flew through the air and hammered the already violated ground around Raichu. Bits and pieces of rubble flew into the barrier, eventually disintegrating before they reached the pokémon at the center.

Ash had all the information he needed.

"Pikachu, keep moving and then use Scattered Thundershock and then Swift!" This plan would only work if he had read Surge right.

Pikachu couldn't guess what Ash was thinking. They had just discussed his deficiencies with Swift, Why was Ash ordering him to use that attack? It made no sense. But he obeyed.

Several tendrils of yellow power smashed into Raichu's barrier, even as Pikachu struggled to produce the star shaped rays. They flew at Raichu from different directions, as Pikachu used Agility to keep up his rapid movements.

"Dodge!" Surge ordered. He was impressed. The newbie had managed to figure out a way past Storm Barrier. Of course the gym leader had to have his pokémon sit there and let him probe it, but considering the difference in their respective skill levels it was still an achievement to be proud of.

Raichu jumped up and away from where the stars would be converging, abandoning his defense to do so, Pikachu's Thundershock tearing apart the now unsupported barrier.

Ash had been waiting for this.

"Quick Attacks!" Ash ordered his pokémon.

Surge's eyes widened as he took better note of the condition and number of stars. That had been a really crappy Swift attack, and it hadn't been meant to hurt Raichu at all. It had been a feint. And he had fallen for it.

Pikachu's forehead hit Raichu right between the eyes, Pikachu's glare meeting Raichu's dazed expression. The mouse like pokémon then pushed off of his evolved form in mid air and sped out of sight once more. He reappeared in the side of Raichu's face, both still in midair. Tumbling head over tail, the yellow pokémon kicked off the other side, vanishing from sight.

Raichu hit the ground and Pikachu hit the back of Raichu's skull. Once more he tumbled over the large pokémon, but this time Raichu backhanded him. Pikachu's body curled around the blow and he went flying, skidding through the dust, leaving a furrow in the debris. Ash's pokémon hit a large piece of rubble, flipped into the air and regained control, managing to land on his feet. He glared at Raichu. Raichu returned the dark look.

_You're the first one to hit me this week, _Raichu growled. His glare turned into a look of dark amusement and anticipation. _This is going to be fun. _His cheeks started to spark and Pikachu could sense the absolutely massive charge building. The oppressive amount of static in the air actually increased, Brock and Misty giving small cries of discomfort.

"Raichu, get a Thunderbolt ready," Surge ordered, preparing to channel the build up into an attack.

Ash and Pikachu defiantly stared down the building attack as small yellow charges crackled all around them. Electricity flickered up and around Raichu, a small percentage of the power building up being leaked into the air.

Pikachu tensed up, all his sensing screaming danger, and every muscle ready to perform the movements to help him dodge. Ash watched intently, nervously, trying to think of something, anything to help Pikachu.

Surge nodded to himself. He'd have Raichu hit the floor with the Thunderbolt, throwing up a dust cloud which he could then run through and surprise the Pikachu. One Body Slam and-

"Time has expired!" The official called out. "Victory is automatically awarded to the challenger, Aaron Autumns!"

He had forgotten all about that. Well, now he had no choice. He'd have to give Aaron a badge. Not that that the kid hadn't earned it, but Surge hated being forced into things.

Ash fell to his knees in shock, Pikachu falling on his behind and panting. They had managed to face a gym leader and their personal pokémon and emerge victorious. Exhilaration burned in them both, lit by the spark of victory-

"So, Lieutenant, what's with- ow, stupid static- the new Raichu?" Brock asked, stepping up to the edge of the ruined battlefield. Surge's pokémon had managed to keep all the damage on the ground within the boundary lines.

Wait, new Raichu? Ash and Pikachu looked up at the massive gym leader.

"Him? He's looking to join a League squad in an artillery position, so I agreed to help him train. Right now we're working on wide area non-fatal attacks." Surge explained, not noticing the look of horror on Aaron and Pikachu's faces. "He's getting better. Soon he'll be able to use a large scale Thunder Wave."

"I was wondering about that," Brock said nodding. "He didn't seem to have that many speed moves, like you evolved him too early, which doesn't seem like you."

"He found a thunderstone in the wild and decided to play with it," Surge explained. Raichu returned to his side and Surge ruffled the fur on its head affectionately. "He evolved before he decided to look into becoming a trained pokémon."

Surge felt something twitch on his belt. He looked down and saw that his Raichu's pokéball was twitching.

"Oh, looks like she wants to come out." White light shone and another Raichu stood on the field. She took one look at Pikachu and squealed.

_Oh how handsome! I just want to eat you all up!_

Ash and Pikachu felt a bead of sweat roll down the back of their heads. This was a gym leader's personal pokémon?

Then, in a blink, she vanished.

_Where'd she- Holy shit! _Pikachu exclaimed, turning around to find the female raichu beaming down at him.

_Let's cuddle_, she cooed. Pikachu used Speed Burst to run away, crossing the battlefield as a yellow blur.

Raichu still ended up in front of him, faster than anyone could track.

_No need to play hard to get, _she scolded Pikachu, who fell on his back and started to scramble away from Raichu. Yellow power blazed behind him, simply melting, not blasting or carving, a trench in the already ravaged floor, giving Pikachu nowhere to retreat.

Pikachu shrieked.

_Help me Ash_, he called out as Raichu swooped down on him, grabbing him and holding him close, nuzzling him fiercely.

"Um, sir, can I have my Pikachu back," Ash asked hesitantly.

_So cute and spunky, ready to fight pokémon much stronger then you. You're such a heartbreaker, _Raichu said, still holding a struggling Pikachu. _I wonder if I could convince you and your trainer to stay? _

_Ash!_

"Right now please?"

"Raichu, let him go," Surge said rolling his eyes. He loved his pokémon, but her antics still annoyed him.

_Fine, _Raichu huffed, letting Pikachu squirm away. He ran back to Ash and crawled up the back of his shirt, quivering in fright as he hid.

"Well Mr. Autumns, it looks like you've earned these," Lt. Surge said, crossing the wrecked battlefield to hand Ash his badge and advancement. The gym leader's hair was unaffected by the electricity. How'd he manage that?

"I can't wait to hear about your future," the massive man said to the boy. "I expect great things from you."

Ash looked him in the eye and nodded earnestly.

Then Misty shrieked.

Everyone turned to look at her. She had fallen to her knees, legs splayed to either side, and her hands were in the fuzzy red mass on top of her head, formerly the hair she kept in a short ponytail.

"You- you- you- Look what you did to my hair!" She shrieked, turning red with anger.

Brock and Lt. Surge simultaneously paled and started to back away. Ash gave them a confused look.

After seeing Aaron's confused look, Brock and Surge looked at each other, nodded, and they each grabbed one of the boys arms and started to carry him away at a dead run.

"Wait, what's going on?" Ash cried out.

"You know the old saying, 'hell hath no fury like a woman scorned'?" Brock asked.

Ash shook his head.

"Well, I guess it doesn't matter, because the fury of a woman scorned is nothing compared to the fury of a woman who's just had her hair ruined," Surge said in a worried tone. "So lets get out of here!"

* * *

><p>Eventually the group returned to the pokémon center, planning to spend one more night there before setting out once more. Misty went off to take a shower and fix her hair, while Brock, Ash, and Pikachu lounged around and watched T.V. Pikachu had flipped between channels until he found a monster movie and glared at Brock when the gym leader reached for the remote.<p>

Ash could see a bit of their appeal, but he didn't care for them. But he'd put up with it to keep Pikachu happy. And today, he could also have it as a well earned reward.

Misty came out of the shower. Ash noticed she had changed her clothes. Before he could comment, Pikachu spoke up.

_Unless the next words out of your mouth are a compliment, shut up or I will shock you for your own good, _the electric pokémon told his trainer without even looking his way. _It'll be better then letting Misty get her hands on you. _

"What's with the change?" Brock asked glancing over. Misty had replace her usual outfit with... a large version of her usual outfit. Her tank top covered most of her belly and her shorts were loose and came down to slightly below her mid thigh.

"Considering the amount of trouble we had getting here, I didn't want to risk hitting a growth spurt weeks away from civilization," Misty explained. "And I'll just grow into these, so I won't have to go clothes shopping again for a while."

"Smart," Brock commented. "So where are we off next?"

"Is there an Aaron Autumns in here?" Someone called out. The group turned to look at the source of the voice. It was a man in some sort of uniform. "I've got something for him."

"Over here," Ash called back. The man came over and handed him an envelope.

"You've been invited to board the SS. Anne. This envelope contains your invitation, you'll need to present it when you arrive. We look forward to seeing you there." The man bowed and then left.

"Well I guess that decides where we're going next," Ash said, looking at the envelope. "We're off to the SS Anne."

* * *

><p>Author's notes: I'd like to thank Selm for betaing.<p>

For some reason the site seems to be having trouble with the horizontal line breaks.

Please review.

Touched up as of 4/27/2014


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: I do not own pokémon.

Please read and review.

* * *

><p>Ash noticed that Kanto seemed to be having an impossible streak of nice and sunny days. For, once more, the sky was blue, the sun was bright, and the air was saturated with heat and moisture. Down in the harbor, he could feel the sea's characteristic salty breeze play across his face as he and his friend's searched for the SS Anne.<p>

"These ships are absolutely gorgeous," Misty gushed, as they walked by ocean liners, cruise ships, and all sorts of vessels.

"I know," Brock commented. "I can't believe that we're getting to take a voyage on one of these! Just think of all the pokémon we'll see. How long is the cruise supposed to be again Aaron?"

Ash looked down at his tickets and the invitation. They said that he and two guests were invited on the SS Anne for a week long cruise. He still had no idea why he had been given these tickets. Ash voiced his thoughts.

"From what I've heard you were the only trainer to get a badge from Surge for the last couple weeks, and the SS Anne typically hosts established trainers and up and coming trainers. It would make sense that you caught their eye." Brock told Aaron. "But quit worrying about this. Accept good fortune as it comes!"

"This is going to be fun," Misty said dreamily. "Sunbathing on the deck..." She could see it now, lounging around in her red bikini while a certain someone fanned her with a palm leaf and occasionally fed her grapes.

"Is that it?" Ash asked, pointing at a ship where there was a crowd of people boarding. It was a long white ship, with layered green and brown decks, a triangular layered prow and a rounded bow, with spearhead shaped decks. A single fin like, red and black edged steam stack rose from the forward part of the middle.

"Yep. See the name's on the side," Brock said, pointing to a spot on the hull where the worlds 'SS Anne' were written. Ash wondered how he missed that, as the group changed course to get on the ship.

_Yes! Surrounded by water pokémon! Easy experience! _Piakchu crowed from his stop on the back of Ash's head.

Ash was sorely tempted to ask him why fighting pokémon that were weak against his type would be 'easy experience' when the fights would be short and one sided. But he couldn't in the presence of his two human companions.

Besides couldn't he get enough experience from the training spars, fights with other trainers, and gym battles? Why did he want to go fight wild pokémon as well?

Head filled with those questions Ash Ketchum, called Aaron Autumns, followed Brock and Misty's lead in boarding the boat.

* * *

><p>In an old abandoned lighthouse Jessie, James, and Meowth put the finishing touches on their plan.<p>

"Alright, since we can't make the apparatus both insulated against electricity and fire proof, we'll stick with fire proof," James said to his compatriots. "Same goes for the shield."

"Makes sense, we prevented all the trainers with strong electric types from getting their invitations. It would just be asking for trouble, dealing with them out in the ocean," Jessie said, leaning against a dusty old wall, thinking of the invitation list that they had spent hours pondering over. "And we made sure the twerp isn't coming."

Everybody nodded, thinking that one of the other two saw to that.

"Jessie, you made the hors d'oeuvres, right?" James asked.

"Already on the ship," the red haired criminal replied, pleased with herself.

"And you made sure the power-point will work with the SS Anne's projectors?" Meowth said to James.

James nodded.

"Did it after getting the contraptions to get the trainers and their pokémon to settle down," he told the scratch cat pokémon. "This is gonna be our best operation yet!"

"All those young trainers, and strong trainers, after we've had a chance to convince them, they'll all join Team Rocket!" Jessie said, clasping her hands together in glee. "And then, after that, we recruit the twerp. I just can't wait!"

She burst into a fight of high class, ladylike, ominous laughter. Meowth and James joined in with their own variations of evil laughter.

* * *

><p>"This is cool!" Ash Ketchum exclaimed.<p>

Inside the SS Anne, what looked like a large pokémon convention was in full swing. There were booths selling costumes, specialty pokéballs, tee shirts, showcasing upcoming Sliph Co. products, rooms where breeders were giving speeches, pokémon medical specialists giving talks, and high ranking gym trainers giving tips. People were comparing their pokémon (Ash thought that his were better than any of theirs) and swapping tales. Food was being fried, carnival foods, exotic foods in the shapes of various pokémon were being sold, and people were stuffing their faces.

"Oh, Ken Watanabe is giving a lecture on cross type move inheritance!" Brock said, looking over a time table.

"Sally's here, giving a demonstration on moves developed by our gym," Misty told the other two, looking over Brock's shoulder at the piece of paper. "We should go say hi."

"They've got events all week. Including a tournament for all trainers who've been in the Indigo Conference." Brock turned to the other two. "This is going to be a great week."

Ash was excited, but he hoped there was an empty stop to hide away somewhere on the ship. He didn't know if he could spend a week surrounded by so many people. If nothing else, it would be terrible to go that long without talking to his pokémon.

Speaking of pokémon, some movement, separate from the crowd, caught the pokéraised child eye. It was a starmie and a raticate fighting in a raised arena.

Streams of water impacted against reinforced plexiglass as the starmie attempted to hit the bounding raticate. Its attempts were futile and the raticate sped in, catching the core of the water type between its large fangs. Cracks spread throughout the jewel and the starmie went limp.

"Good match," a monocle and top hat wearing man told his opponent, a kid in a green-blue shirt. The kid called his starmie back and then both humans walked to the center of the arena to shake hands.

After the boy had departed, the gentleman turned to the crowd.

"Does anyone else feel like stepping up?" He called out. "Anybody feel like they can match Raticate!"

Ash responded on instinct.

"My Butterfree can," the trainer from the wild areas around Pallet Town replied, making his way through the crowd to the arena.

"Very well then young man," the gentleman said, bowing as Ash climbed onto the trainer's spot on the other end. "Then let us begin."

"Go Butterfree!" Ash shouted, throwing the pokéball. White energy coalesced into the butterfly pokémon, hovering in front of Ash.

_I'll do my best! _Butterfree declared.

_You'll be fun to fight_, Raticate said to Butterfree.

"High Jump Kick!" Ordered the monocled man.

"Sleep Powder Dispersal!" Ash ordered at the same time.

Butterfree flew up, dodging Raticate's kick, and spiraled above the arena, releasing a burst of glittering powder. As it fell it dispersed in the air.

"While you'll cover more area, you won't be able to get a high enough concentration of powder on your opponent if you release from that height," said the gentleman.

"Oh, I know. Butterfree, Powder Gather!"

Buitterfree reared back its head, gathering its focus to use its psychic powers. A gentle ring of force gathered the powder that was falling all around Raticate to no effect, and pushed it all at the fanged pokémon.

"Dodge!" The gentleman told his pokémon, seeing the danger. Raticate obeyed, noticing the oncoming powder as he jumped out of the rapidly shrinking glittering ring.

"Tackle!" Ash responded. Butterfree sped down at the rising Raticate. But before Butterfree could connect, Raticate flipped in mid air and hit Ash's pokémon on the head with its worm like tail.

_Ouch! _Butterfree exclaimed, struggling to regain control of his flight.

"Super Fang!" Raticate leapt at the struggling Butterfree. Butterfree quit trying to fly and dropped to the ground, Raticate flying right over it. The rat like pokémon landed on the other side of the arena and turned to face his downed opponent.

"Agility and Super Fang again!" The gentleman instructed his pokémon. Raticate turned into a brown and white blur and disappeared from sight.

"Confusion everywhere!" Ash countered.

Butterfree instantly reacted to his trainer's command, taking a fraction of an instant to gather his focus and then radiated waves of telekinetic and telepathic force from his body.

The waves slammed into the speeding Raticate, who had launched himself at Butterfree's side. His own speed betrayed him during the initial impact as he hit Butterfree's attack, adding to the damage, slowing him down until he crashed on the floor next to Butterfree. The telepathic force battered his mind, already dazed from the physical force, and knocked him out.

"Well, congratulations young trainer. You are victorious." The gentleman gave another little bow, which Ash clumsily returned.

"Great job Butterfree," Ash said happily. "You were wonderful."

_Thanks Ash! I told you I'd do my best. _The happy bug type trilled.

Ash smiled and then called Butterfree back.

"Good job Aaron," Brock congratulated the younger boy as he returned to the group.

"Butterfree's really improving with his psychic abilities, isn't he," commented Misty. "Been training those?"

"Yep," replied Aaron proudly, puffing up. He looked around, seeking other battles or event to participate in.

"Hey, there's a free buffet in ten minutes about three decks above us," Brock said, once more reading the time table. He looked up. The former gym leader could have sworn he could Aaron's ears twitching.

"Free... food..." Aaron's head slowly turned to look at Brock. The boy rushed over to Brock, Pikachu hanging onto the back of his head for dear life, and snatched the time table out of Brock's hand.

"I'll meet you guys there!" The young trainer called out as he sped through the crowd, looking for the nearest staircase.

Brock and Misty just stared. And then they looked at each other.

"That was..." Misty searched for the world.

"Weird. Let's go make sure he doesn't make a scene."

* * *

><p>"Pamphlet cannon?" Meowth read off the list.<p>

"Check." Jessie answered.

"Pokeball identification and suction device?"

"Check," James answered, looking at some readouts on an electronic screen.

"Projectors?"

"Check."

"Sleeping gas grenades, grenade launchers, and we remembered to change the sprinklers into gas emitters?"

"Check."

"Food?"

"Check."

"Buffet is ready?"

"Check." Jessie said, hefting her weapons. Behind her, Ekans sat coiled, waiting for the operation to start.

"And that should be everything," Meowth said, putting down the list. "We wait until everybody's at the buffet and then we pounce!"

* * *

><p>Food! Food! Everywhere! And he didn't have to pay!<p>

It was a large room, with chandlers hanging overhead. The buffet tables were near the back and there was a stage near the front. It wasn't carpeted and some of the tables had folding chairs. Large red curtains hung in front of the stage.

But most importantly, it was filled with food!

Ash rubbed his hands together gleefully, making sure the drool collecting in his mouth stayed there. He started to run for some plates, but Pikachu gave him an electric shock.

_Manners! Get in line and wait to get a plate and then your food. _The electric rodent scolded his singed trainer. Ash nodded glumly and then went to the end of the line.

And when Brock and Misty arrived, that's how they found their friend, patiently waiting in line, Pikachu standing on his shoulder and tersely tapping his foot.

"From your little 'episode' below, we thought that we'd find you face first in the buffet tables," Misty commented, amused.

_And he would have been if not for me. _Pikachu glared at Ash.

"I'm just hungry," Ash replied. He had been raised in the wild, where he had never had an opportunity to gorge himself to his heart's content. A free buffet, probably all you can eat, was far too good to pass up or not get excited about.

Misty and Brock got in line as well and Pikachu directed Ash through the buffet line, using his time in the city and watching T.V. at the appliance shop to tell Ash when he had put enough on his plate.

_Only animated characters put more on their plate, _he told his disappointed trainer. _So I'm guessing that it would be rude for you to have more. If you're still hungry after this, just go get seconds._

Ash sat down at an empty table and started to eat. While he was doing so, the man he had battled earlier stopped by, a well dressed woman on his arm.

"Well hello there young man," the gentleman said. Ash, for the first time, noticed that he had an odd accent. "I was just telling my fiancée here about our battle."

"He kept going on and on about it," the woman drawled in the same accent.

"I was wondering, is that Butterfree of yours looking to settle down anytime soon?" Asked the gentleman. "Because if he's rearing to do so, Raticate has indicated that he'd like to continue roaming, and I say a trade would be in order."

"Sorry, Butterfree wants to stick with me," Ash replied.

_Don't reach for any food until the conversation's over, _Pikachu warned.

"That's a mighty shame," the gentleman sighed. "We've only got so much time before the wedding and I'll be forced to stay home for an extended time. It's a great place for all sorts of pokémon, just not Raticate."

"I'll tell anybody looking to trade to go to you," Ash told the man.

"Much appreciated young man. What's your name?"

"Aaron Autumns."

"John Sutherland. Pleased to make your acquaintance. I'll leave you to your meal young man." With a tip of his hat, the gentleman and his fiancée left.

Ash returned to his food, eagerly digging in, only remembering to use the proper utensils because of Pikachu's glare. Brock and Misty soon joined him.

"I can't believe how crowded it is," commented the red haired trainer. "It's almost like every trainer on board is down here right now."

"I wonder who's catering this thing," Brock muttered between munches. He started scanning the information pamphlet. "Ever hear of the JJM catering service?"

"Nope." Misty replied, enjoying a meat dish. "But they do great work."

Pikachu sniffed curiously at the food, and then sat straight up, ignoring Ash's surprised and curious look. The electric rodent stood on his hind legs, looking around and sniffing.

"Pikachu what's wrong?" Ash asked.

_I know that smell._

High class and lady like evil laughter rang out in the buffet room. Two other voices joined in, both male. The entrance to the room was suddenly closed, bulkheads cutting everyone inside off from the rest of the ship.

"Prepare for trouble!" Ash, Misty, and Brock immediately prepared, grabbing their pokéballs and looking around for Jessie.

"And make it double!" Mist began to creep out from under the curtain.

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all peoples within our nation!"

The curtain began to rise, revealing a two shadowy figures standing back to back. One held a rose in their hand and had their face in the flower.

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!" The mist was blown away by a burst from the giant fans hidden backstage.

"James!"

"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth that's right!"

At the words 'Team Rocket' every trainer had grabbed their pokéballs and started to release their pokémon.

"Un-un-un," Jessie scolded, wagging her finger. "Not right now!" James hit a series of buttons. A wall constructed of some sort of clear material dropped down in front of them. Streams of water, blasts of fire, streams of sharp leaves, assaults by vines, and even a small Hyper Beam broke upon it.

"Behave or we'll take those away from you," James shouted, referring to the trainers' pokéballs.

Ash noticed some small electric attacks hitting the barrier and marring it slightly. Pikachu might be able to break it, but Team Rocket would have some sort of counter measure...

Both he and Misty turned to Brock.

"Plan?" Misty asked.

"Too crowded for Onix. I'll have to use Geodude. Misty have Staryu and Starmie concentrate on breaking through at a single point. Geodude will attack that point once you're finished. Aaron, I hate to ask this off you, but could you be a distraction? Go up there, grab their attention and don't let them catch on to what we're up to." Misty and Aaron nodded.

"Go Geodude!"

"Go Staryu! Go Starmie!" White light blazed and three pokémon floated before them.

"You two use Water Drill on a spot in the top right corner," Misty ordered as the other trainers futile assault continued. Her pokémon nodded their top arm in acknowledgement and then flew off

"Geodude break on through when they're done!" Brock told his pokémon. Geodude nodded and sped off after them.

Ash and Pikachu dashed to the front of the crowd, weaving between attack pokémon and people. He skidded to a stop in an empty area right in front of the stage.

* * *

><p>Their plan was working perfectly! The shield was keeping the trainers and pokémon distracted from the sleeping gas slowly working its way down from the chandler. And when the trainers did notice, Jessie could open up with the sleep grenades to finish them off, and James with the pamphlet cannon to give them something to read before they fell asleep and woke up in the auditorium.<p>

Yes, Jessie, James, and Meowth thought to themselves, nothing could go wro-

"Hey! Good guys!"

-ng.

It was the twerp and his pikachu!

"I thought you made sure he wasn't coming!" Jessie hissed to James.

"I thought Meowth had it," James protested.

"I was sure Jessie said that she had it," was Meowth's panicked reply.

"We're fucked!" They cried out in unison.

"Pikachu, Thunder!" Yellow power blazed and the arcing column of electricity slammed into the barrier, the remnants of the water attacks carrying the current everywhere. Pikachu stopped the attack from flowing through the streams of water that Misty's pokémon were emitting, but, other than that, he let the attack run wild.

Crackling yellow tendrils played all over the surface, warping and melting the places they touched. The entire barrier began to shiver, then shake, and finally warp. Sparks jumped off the top and flew into the descending gas.

The gas was an invention of James. He had been looking for a non-flammable version of the standard Team Rocket sleeping gas and had achieved it. Unless the fire attack ignited the air itself Jame's gas wouldn't light. However there was an odd quirk. Electrical current of a certain strength would ignite it.

For a moment nothing happened. And then a fiery flower bloomed overhead, sending a wave of hot air downward. People and pokémon hit the deck to avoid being scorched. It was also the final straw for the beaten barrier. It shattered into hundreds of pieces that fell to the ground.

Jame's had secretly re-wired the ship in order to install the equipment necessary for the plan. In doing so he had to remove some safeguards, such as a few critical surge protectors. After their plan had been carried out, the SS Anne was supposed to immediately return to port instead of continuing on its original course, minimizing the danger of the missing protectors. It was supposed to have been relatively safe.

And Ash wasn't supposed to be on board.

The ship rocked as scattered explosions bloomed. Klaxons and alarms blared. Meowth, James, and Jessie stumbled backward and then vanished backstage.

"Staryu, Starmie, return!" Misty called out, holding up both pokéballs. Two beams of red light shot out and the pokémon were recalled. Brock follwed suit with Geodude.

Emergency protocols activated and the bulkheads opened. Everyone started streaming out and the captain's voice sounded out over the intercom.

"This is not a drill. All hands evacuate. Assist the passengers in boarding the life boats and then abandon ship. Life boats are on deck two; please make your way there in a calm and orderly fashion. I repeat this is not a drill."

All the trainers who had been trapped inside started streaming out, racing for the decks. Brock and Misty shoved their way through the crowd, trying to reach Ash, who was climbing up on the stage.

"Aaron!" Brock shouted angrily. "Get down from there. We've got to get out of here!"

"But we can catch them!" Ash protested. "It's the perfect opportunity!"

_They aren't escaping this time! _Pikachu growled from Ash's shoulder.

They hadn't been expecting him. If he could defeat them here...

Then the fear that had been lurking in the back of his mind since the encounter in the Viridian forest would finally go away. Knock them out and then turn them over to the police. Ash didn't think that they knew his last name and no cop would believe their claims about him being able to speak to pokémon.

"The ship is sinking! There isn't any time!" The former Pewter City gym leader cried out, starting to advance on Ash. Misty followed close behind.

Ash shook his head and finished clambering onto the stage, eager to begin the pursuit. Brock swore and started after him, as the room emptied.

And then an explosion burst through the floor, sending the three humans and one Pikachu flying, tumbling head over heels, until everything went dar-

* * *

><p>Pikachu came to in an upside-down hallway covered by an inch of water and rising.<p>

_Ash! _The pokémon called out, looking around for his trainer, but the human was nowhere to be seen.

_Ouch... _Pikachu rubbed the back of his head, noticing the small lump there. What had happened?

Right, the floor blew up.

It didn't matter; he just needed to find Ash. The electric rodent stood on his hind legs and sniffed the air. He couldn't find Ash's scent, but he could pick up Brock and Misty's. They would be looking for Ash as well and neither had mammalian pokémon that could sniff him out. Well, maybe Zubat, but Pikachu wouldn't trust that pokémon' senses in the current situation.

Pikachu took off, scrambling over debris, squeezing through rubble and navigation other obstacles on his way to join the duo. Occasionally he had to swim through rooms and hallways that were filling with water.

He found the two squeezing through a gap between the ceiling and a large pile of wreckage. Pikachu ran up the other side, stood on his hind legs before them, and raised a forepaw in greeting.

_Hello, _he said.

"Pikachu," Misty exclaimed, delighted by the electric pokémon's sudden appearance. She wiggled a bit and forced herself through the small space. She looked around.

"Where's Aaron? Isn't he with you?"

Pikachu reminded himself that she couldn't understand him and shook his head.

"Do you know where he is?"

Another shake.

"Dammit Aaron," she swore.

"If the idiot had listened to me and run..." Brock growled.

Pikachu frowned. He was the one who called Ash and idiot, not the gym leader.

"Did you see any way out on your way here?" Brock asked Pikachu. Pikachu shook his head. Brock sighed.

"We need to identify a way out before we search for Aaron," Brock said, rubbing his chin. "We can look for him on the way out."

"We also need to ascertain the state of the ship," Misty added. "So we know how much time we've got and how safe it would be to simply punch through the hull."

"Good thinking," Brock replied. "Pikachu you need to stick with us. You're the only one who can sniff Aaron out."

Pikachu nodded resigned. He had figured that something like this would happen.

Misty picked Pikachu up and hugged him to her chest. He snuggled into the softness and the warmth to help offset his anxiety concerning Ash that was gnawing on his insides. Idiot, getting himself lost like that.

"I don't know how we got this separated," Brock began, "but we should have ended up on the same floor..."

"Unless another explosion opened up another hole," Misty pointed out. "And if there was water there, Pikachu might not be able to track him."

Neither one of them brought up the obvious possibility that Aaron could be dead. Pikachu was thankful for that.

They continued down the hallway and had Pikachu point out the way he had come from, so they could avoid it. Brock had Geodude rearrange some wreckage so the humans could get through. Occasionally they asked Pikachu if he could smell Aaron/Ash, but the electric type never could.

Brock broke down a door and they entered another hallway, looking for a staircase or a viewport. This one had a hole melted through it. Brock knelt down to examine the edges.

"Acid," he commented without touching. "Team Rocket went this way. Pikachu, can you smell Aaron at all?"

Pikachu sampled the air and shook his head. He could only smell Team Rocket.

"Arcues damn idiot," Brock muttered. "Headstrong fool." The young man's fist tightened to the point of pain.

"He's not so bad..."

"He charged into a battle that was way over his head, could have gotten us all killed, and now he charged after Team Rocket and got us into this situation," Brock replied angrily.

"He's young-"

"Only a year or so younger than yourself."

"- and most trainers don't have to deal with multiple encounters with Team Rocket in their first couple months. And he at least thought his actions at the village through, no matter how ill advised they were," Misty protested. "And the Rockets here have been stalking them for who knows how long? And we had the first good chance to capture them..."

"It wasn't a good chance to capture them," Brock retorted. "A good chance to capture them wouldn't include risking your life by staying on a sinking ship."

"He's inexperienced, not an idiot," Misty returned.

"If he was merely inexperienced he would have known to listen to us and run away. But no, he goes chasing dangerous criminals through explosions..."

"Alright he's an idiot," Misty admitted. "But still not as bad as you're making him out to be."

_Hey! Everyone at the village needed our help, _protested Pikachu. _And those Rockets know his secret. Maybe secrets plural._

"See, Pikachu agrees with me," Misty said.

_Yes, Ash is an idiot._

"He's Aaron's pokémon. He's supposed to be loyal and respect his trainer-"

_I'm supposed to respect him? That's news._

"- and for all you know he was agreeing with me."

"Nah uh."

"Ya uh."

"Nah uh."

"Ya uh."

"Nah uh."

"Ya uh."

_Quit bickering, I found the scent, _Pikachu spoke up as they came to the corner. He wiggled out of Misty's grip and scrambled down the hallway and around the corner. Brock and Misty followed to find him on his hind legs pointing to the upside down ruins of a stair way.

"So he's alive," Brock gave a small sigh of relief. "And he's heading towards the hull... what's he planning?"

"Probably to punch his way through and then hang on to Squirtle," Misty suggested.

"Without Pikachu?"

_Unimaginable._

"Maybe he thinks we'd be heading up there as well," Misty replied.

"Why? There could be a lot of other places to get out."

"He might not know that. But we can ask him when we find him. We need to find a way up-down?- these stairs."

"I've got an idea." Brock was reaching for a pokéball...

* * *

><p>"I thought you were going to use Onix." Misty rubbed her arms briefly. "Have him be a living staircase instead of having Geodude haul us up."<p>

"Couldn't risk bringing Onix out here. Not only does he really hate water, I don't know how fragile the ship is currently. Don't want to break it up." Brock replied.

Pikachu pulled on the former gym leader's pant leg.

_He went this way, come on. _Pikachu was nearly jumping up and down from his impatience to find Ash.

"Alright, alright, hold your horses." Brock sighed. Misty knelt down and picked up the yellow pokémon once more. Pikachu tugged on her shirt and pointed.

"We know, we want to find your trainer as well," the red haired trainer whispered in his ear. Pikachu nodded and then resumed pointing.

The group followed the scent trail through a couple more hallways, using Geodude to clear some debris so Brock could get through and then found themselves at another staircase, this one filled with water. Pikachu smelled the trail going into the water and indicated this to his human companions.

"I got this." Misty grabbed a pokéball. "Go Goldeen!"

White energy blazed and Goldeen appeared in the water.

_I hate it when you call me out when there's nobody to fight, _the water type complained, swimming in little circles.

"Goldeen, can you find the route through?" Misty didn't ask the pokémon to make sure there was a route through. There had to be otherwise...

Goldeen nodded and dove under the water.

About a minute later she resurfaced.

"Did you find a way?" Goldeen nodded in response to her trainer's question. "Can we use it?" Another nod.

"Brock, Pikachu, you guys ready?" Misty asked the other two. Both human and pokémon nodded.

"Wait, Brock, got any rope?" Brock nodded and reached into his backpack, pulling out a length of rope. Misty tied it around her waist, and let a good long portion trail behind her.

"Go Starmie!" Light blazed and the purple water type pokémon waited in the water.

"Alright you two," Misty said. "Grab onto the rope and don't let go."

Brock and Pikachu followed her instructions. Misty jumped in the water and grabbed hold of Starmie.

"Goldeen, show Starmie the way out. Starmie, follow her." Both of her pokémon nodded. Goldeen dived and Starmie followed a second later, pulling Misty along. Brock and Pikachu jumped in the water as soon as there was room and were then towed along.

Half a minute later everybody resurfaced in another part of the ship. They crawled out of the hole in the ceiling of what appeared to be a third class bunk, the humans and Pikachu gasping for air. They sat on the ceiling for a minute, catching their breaths.

Pikachu sniffed around. Ash had been there. That was good; it meant they didn't have to search for another route through the water. Although they could have had Goldeen take Pikachu alone to see if Ash had been there. Pikachu wondered why they hadn't done that. He trusted the two, he was just curious as to their reasons.

_This way! He went this way! _Once more Pikachu tugged on Brock's pant leg and pointed. Misty scooped him up and they continued after Ash. They left the room and found themselves in a hallway with view-ports all along one wall. Misty rushed over to the nearest one in order to ascertain the state of the ship.

A magikarp swam by and looked in the window, curious as to what was going on. As Misty watched the orange pokémon slowly drifted upward. Correction, the ship slowly sank.

"Capsized and sinking. Great. Brock, could you use Zubat to see if there's anyone but Aaron and us left on the ship?" Misty asked the rock type specialist.

"No way. All the water and stuff would screw with his echolocation." Brock replied.

"Dammit. We'll just have to see if we run into anybody else on our way out. We'll also need to reach Aaron before he decides to punch through the hull."

"Do you know where it's thinnest?"

Misty thought for a moment.

"I think it's by the engine room, in order to dump heat more efficiently. It doesn't matter. We need to get out of here before we reach a dangerous depth." Misty put Pikachu down.

"Pikachu, run," Brock told the electric pokémon. "We'll keep up."

_Only if I slow down, _Pikachu replied. He scampered off, chasing down Ash's trail.

It was a long journey through the capsized and sinking SS Anne. They had to crawl up upside down stair cases, swim through submerged hallways, and avoid impaling themselves on broken railings and the like. All throughout the journey the only sign of Ash was his scent.

Finally they ended up on the lower decks and then the engine room. Fires burned everywhere in the large metal expanse that was the engine room, machinery scattered all over, and the engines themselves were blacken and bent, from the change in the orientation of gravity and the feedback from Pikachu's attack. A broken walkway extended above them for a short distance. Ash's scent led through the empty space to the doorway on the other side, and Pikachu could smell both Bulbasaur's scent and Butterfree's.

He pointed to the door across the room.

"How are we going to get across?" Misty asked, surveying the area.

"I've got an idea. Go Geodude!" Brock released his pokémon once more.

_What do you need me to do? _Brock's pokémon asked his trainer.

"I need you to make us a series of handholds and footholds," ordered the trainer from Pewter City. "Make sure both Misty and I can use them."

_Gotcha boss. _Geodue moved to the right and punched the wall a couple of times, creating an indent for the humans to grab. He then went low and repeated the processes, creating a slightly different shaped indent for them to put their foot in. He continued the process, edging his way over to the other wall and across the room.

Pikachu climbed onto Misty's head and then the two trainers began to follow Geodude, using the indents to cling onto the wall. It was a grueling process, they occasionally had to wait for Geodude, and they were both slick with sweat before it was over. The walls were uncomfortably warm to the touch and were growing worse, heated by the fires below. It was a huge relief when they finally reached the other side.

Brock called Geodude back right away and then they continued. There was one more utility hallway and then another empty room. Well almost empty. There was a human and a couple pokémon in there, staring at a hole in the floor that led to the bare metal hull.

_Ash! _The human turned around at Pikachu's delighted cry and managed to catch his speeding yellow pokémon.

"Pikachu!" Ash hugged the pokémon close. "I was worried about you. Where were you? I was about to give everybody a plan to get out if I didn't make it back in time and go look for you."

_Actually he was arguing with us, trying to convince us to get ready to leave without him, _Bulbasaur interjected. _But we wouldn't hear of it._

"Aaron!" Brock shouted angrily. "What the hell were you thinking!"

"Huh?"

"I told you to get out of there, but you didn't listen and look where we ended up!"

"Eh, sorry?" Ash said meekly, rubbing the back of his head. "I honestly thought that it would take less than a minute to catch them."

"And then how would we restrain them? They're both experts at hand to hand combat!" Brock tore into Aaron. "And what about getting them to the lifeboats? Unless you were willing to kill them?"

"No, I didn't think about that! But it's not like you knew that the floor would blow up!" Aaron protested. "But can't this wait?

"Fine, but once we get to land we're going to have a long talk." Brock growled.

"Aaron, you're an idiot," Misty said and left it at that. She then looked at the hole and through it the hull. "Are we both thinking the same thing?"

As Ash and Misty talked, Pikachu wandered over to the rest of Ash's pokémon.

_Why'd he decide to come here? _The electric pokémon asked the group.

_I told him to, _Squirtle replied. _It's a good place to get out of the ship._

_Why'd you do that? I didn't think you had much experience with sinking ships or the ocean._

_I got an... anonymous tip._

_What does that mean?_

_I mean I got a tip from some people who've proven themselves talented, who didn't want any conflict, and who want Ash alive._

_YOU T-!_ Squirtle covered Pikachu's mouth with his forepaw.

_Yes, I took directions from Team Rocket. They stopped by while Ash was unconscious. They gave me the directions and then left, if they wanted to do something to him they could've done it then and we wouldn't have been able to beat them without Ash's help._

"Alright, you hang onto Squirtle, I'll hang onto Staryu, and Brock'll hang onto Starmie." Misty said. "Just follow me."

"How are we going to break through?" Ash asked.

"I think it's a good time to use Onix," Brock answered, reaching for Onix's pokéball.

"Give us a second," Misty told the former gym leader. "Do you have more rope?"

Brock took out three bundles of rope and handed them to Misty. She tied one around her waist and to Staryu and instructed Brock and Ash to do the same with the pokémon they would be using. They did so.

"Alright, now you can use Onix," Misty told Brock.

"Go Onix!" With a ship shaking roar the stone serpent appeared before them. Ash took the opportunity to recall all of his pokémon except Pikachu and Squirlte

"Onix, there will be a lot of water involved," Brock began. Onix shied away fearfully. "But I'll return you right away. I just need you to break open the hull over there. Can you do that?"

_Only if you make sure to return me right away, _the rock type replied hesitantly. He nodded to Brock and then turned to the hole. Onix reared back and then struck forward, smashing through the exposed hull. Red light blazed and he was sucked back into his pokéball just as the water began to flood in.

"Hold your breath everybody!" Misty shout. "Starmie, Staryu, Squirtle! Get going!"

The three water types surged up the onrushing water, pulling their human passengers plus Pikachu along. It took a couple of seconds to get through the opening as they struggled against the current. But when they got through, the humans found themselves in a world dyed blue. The water felt uncomfortable but the pressure wasn't unbearable. It was fortunate that the SS Anne hadn't sunk very far yet, the trapped air giving her a little bit of extra buoyancy.

A couple of magikarp swam by as the group ascended. Brock and Ash noticed them through their discomfort; both were finding it difficult to continue holding their breath. Misty had no such trouble, she had been trained for worse.

With a small splash everyone surfaced. Brock and Ash gasped for air while Misty looked around.

"Alright, I can make out some land from here," she told the other two. "Starmie, Squirtle, make sure to follow me."

_Alright Misty, _Starmie replied.

_If it'll help the boss, _Squirtle responded.

"After this I want a real vacation," Brock gasped. "Something without Team Rocket please. Lots of pretty women. Maybe a Jenny or Joy convention."

"What is with you and older women?" Misty asked. "It's a bit creepy. And wouldn't it be statutory rape on their part?"

"The age of consent in Pewter City is fifteen," Brock responded, "and I'm sixteen, almost seventeen. Most Joys and Jenny's are only a couple of years older."

"Really? I thought you were younger. I guess you must really be in touch with your inner child."

Ash didn't butt in to the conversation. If they were busy bickering Brock might forget to yell at him later.

And so they made their way back to land.

* * *

><p>Author's Notes: One of the pitfalls of releasing a story chapter by chapter, is occasionally you realize that you've set yourself up to write something unnecessary. Most of the points I wanted to deal with on the SS Anne I dealt with earlier, except for trading which I covered in a more concise matter than I thought I would. And I'm not doing the Island of the Giant Pokémon episode, I also discovered I covered those points earlier, so there was no need for it, and thus no need for the SS Anne chapter to set it up. But I had foreshadowed the Anne at the end of the last chapter, so I was stuck.<p>

I'd like to thank Selm for betaing.


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: I do not own pokémon.

AN: More trouble with the site's formatting and editing. I apologize if it appears in the final version.

* * *

><p>It was a clichéd dark and stormy night. Turbulent waves roiled beneath the sheets of freezing rain falling from the grey clouds as the occasional flash of lightning and crack of thunder rolled over the waters. Bone chilling wind whipped the waters as it swept eastward, ruffling Professor Oak's lab coat as he stood on the back of his dragonite. His arms crossed, the former pokémon champion surveyed the view before him, easily keeping his perfect balance as his pokémon surged up and down with each beat of its wings. The waterproof thermal clothing he wore under the white coat protected him from the worst of the cold.<p>

Oak briefly glanced at the orange and green wings of his pokémon. They looked much too small to allow the pokémon to fly. They were actually, going by the normal rules of flight. But the Pokémon Professor had done the research to discover why they worked. He knew why, how, and what they did to allow them to fly, and had published the information already. He was an accomplished scientist, constantly pushing the boundaries of knowledge forward with his research, discovering new properties, techniques, and facts about pokémon biology. His accomplishments were legion, both from his days as the League Champion and the Professor.

And now as he relaxed in his advancing age, he travelled with a tour group from Pallet Town. Well, he travelled with them most of the time. Sometimes one just needed some time to themselves.

Ah, relaxing at Porta Vista, and watching the annual beach beauty contest. Oak idly wondered what the winner would be like. Maybe Delia would enter-

Right.

The former champion sighed and hung his head. Seven years had done a lot to dull the pain of the loss of one of his former students and later friend. He had been friends with Mr. Ketchum as well and had looked forward to seeing Ash grow up. But it was not to be.

The three of them had gone on vacations like this, sometimes just the two of them when Ash's father had to be elsewhere. She'd easily be able to crush the competition at a beauty contest. It wouldn't be fair to the other contenders, they would have stood no chance.

But that was lost forever, along with her husband's confident smirk, and little Ash's adorable smile. The Ketchum parents had to be sorted into their respective coffins via DNA testing. The funeral was closed casket, and they never even found Ash's body.

He had been there earlier that day! He had seen them alive and happy! And then they died during the night!

The investigation had revealed that at least twenty five houndooms and ten growlithes were involved, and were probably killed by what the Professor found to be a Signal Beam. From the numbers and powers involved there had to be at least one criminal team involved, maybe more. The evidence showed that there had been a scuffle after the elder Ketchums had been killed, where the fire and dark types had expired. It may have been internal fighting instead.

Oak had thought Pallet Town safe, protected by his reputation. But that had been a lie. Organizations like Team Rocket no longer respected him. He was a useless old man.

Oak grew angrier, resisting the temptation to scream and rage at the storm above.

* * *

><p>"Are you sure that you've got to do this now?" Meowth asked, scrambling to keep his balance on the rocking deck of the Gyarados submarine flying the Rocket symbol on its flagpole.<p>

"Of course. We don't want to be late checking in with HQ now, do we?" James said as he adjusted an antenna.

"Surely you could wait an hour for the storm to pass," Meowth shouted over the noise of the storm.

"Nonsense," Jessie said, idly waving a hand. "We don't want to fall into bad habits now do we?"

"But we do want to survive," Meowth responded loudly.

"Don't be a worrywart," James said contemptuously.

Jessie looked up.

"What's that?" the red haired woman asked, pointing to a dark shape in the sky.

* * *

><p>Samuel Oak directed Dragonite lower, so he could get a better look at the vessel below. They might need his aid.<p>

Then he caught sight of their flag.

The former champion's rage spiked and he suddenly burned with the desire to feel wet hot blood all over his hands, gushing from screaming figures...

"Down!" He shouted to Dragonite, who instantly complied, skimming over the waves, wing tips brushing the crests. In a flash the dragon type had drawn close to the submersible. During the single instant that the orange pokémon was next to the vessel, Oak jumped off of his pokémon, the tails of his white lab coat flapping behind him like vast white wings.

His feet touched metal and he rolled to bleed off any excess momentum. Oak regained his feet in front of the occupants. The rocking of the sub didn't even register with him. He needed to spare no conscious attention to keep his balance. It wasn't his first battle during a storm at sea.

Three figures stood before him, a man with shoulder length hair, a woman with long hair, and what appeared to be a meowth. The pokémon professor instantly marked their positions down on a mental map, along with all the relevant terrain features, and then charged.

* * *

><p>Jessie was surprised by the old sciencey guy who had jumped off the dark shape that sped by. No one had been expecting that. When he moved to attack them she instantly snapped into action to protect her friends.<p>

She went high, using a flipping axe kick. Her heel whistled downward with skull cracking force as she spun through the air, red hair whipping in her wake like a long tail. Jessie was already seeing the potential reactions in her head, from the man blocking, trying to grab, or jumping backwards to avoid. She was so busy with those thoughts that she almost missed the man increasing his speed to catch her thigh on his shoulder.

The assailant used the leverage to throw her backward. Jessie twisted in midair, trying to regain control of her flight. A clawed hand smashed into her side. She arced around the blow and let out a gasp of pain, a red mark forming on her side, just below her ribs.

Jessie soared into one of the fins on the central axis of the ship, hitting the metal with a thud. James rushed to his comrades defense, a knife hand blow aimed for just left of the spine, rain drops splattering on the appendage as it sliced through the rain.

But the old man in the white lab coat spun around, his coat tails swirling about his legs. He raised his arms and took a stance resembling the extinct insect known as a mantis, with his hands held in a claw like position. James' blow was deflected and the purple haired man spun on the spot to avoid the counter blow. James could feel the wind from the blow rustling his hair.

The Team Rocket member was unable to avoid the follow up blows, a mix of what Jessie, who was picking herself up, recognized as a mix of tiger and mantis styles. He was an old school martial artist then. He had probably been taught sometime before or just after the formation of the League. The stranger was also very good.

* * *

><p>He was old. He was out of shape. He was out of practice. His blows were nowhere near as fast or as crisp as they had been in his prime. His strength was not what it once was.<p>

But Samuel Oak was reminding himself that he was still a force to be reckoned with. The male Rocket fell, with several new bruises and cuts adorning his body. The meowth leapt over what was probably his trainer and attacked. The woman from earlier then rejoined the fray, assaulting him with several high kicks.

It was child's play for the pokémon professor to evade, deflect, and block the kicks and claws from the two. He brought his elbow down on the meowth's forehead, knocking it out. The rocking of the sub caused the feline pokémon to slide away. Three precise and quick strikes broke the woman's defense and her stance, and when she tried to escape he grabbed her hair and slammed her head into the sub.

She let out a sharp cry of pain, catching the attention of the man, who had grabbed the Meowth to stop it from sliding overboard. The man turned his fearful gaze to the professor.

"Normally I would try and take you in for questioning," Samuel said to the man. "But I doubt you'd be cooperative. From your skill level I'm guessing you're high level operatives. That will make this all the more satisfying. Dragonite!" He thrust his fist into the air as he shouted.

Once more the dark shape sped over the waves and drew close to the gyarados submarine. Oak jumped off the submarine and landed on his dragon type, his white coat settling behind him.

"On high," Oak commanded over the sounds of the storm, standing tall once more. Dragonite spiraled upward through the cold wind and rain. Sam looked down on the Rockets, bobbing up and down as his pokémon hovered.

He could see the man fiddling with something next to the unconscious bodies of his comrades. But it was too dark and they were too far away for Sam Oak to see what exactly he was doing. It didn't matter.

"Dragonite, Hyper Beam," Oak said calmly.

White light, bright as day, shone over the ocean as Dragonite gathered a ball of energy in his mouth. Smoke erupted from the vessel below. Oak smirked. As if they could escape.

The orange dragon reared its head back, shining the light of the gathered energy on the clouds above, bleaching them white. His head snapped forward and he launched the Hyper Beam.

It was a cascade of destructive energy, a piece of starfire stolen from the heavens. White energy lanced downward, so bright that it appeared to be as wide as a skyscraper. Piercing through the smoke, Dragonite's attack smashed through the submarine, just after James pressed a rather important button, reducing it to flying pieces of molten metal, trailing smoke as they flew away from the point of impact.

The beam continued into the ocean for awhile, until it lost cohesion in the murky depths and exploded. A geyser thirty stories high reached for the sky. The sudden absence of so much water left an open wound on the ocean about half the size of a football field. Water rushed back to fill the hole from the surrounding ocean, from the rain, and from the returning mass.

Professor Oak calmly looked upon the devastation below. He knew that he should have probably started with the Hyper Beam if he wasn't going to capture the Rockets, but thinking about the Ketchums had riled him up. And it always felt nice to beat up the fascist pokémon stealing scumbags known as Team Rocket.

He directed Dragonite to return to their previous course and forced himself to think about less dark thoughts. His friend wouldn't have wanted him to brood.

* * *

><p>James clutched Jessie and Meowth tight to his chest, as Koffing spewed gas above him to keep his parachute aloft. Had he taken one more second to finish all the preparations and press the eject button, everybody would have been killed.<p>

James shivered. It wasn't a thought that he could bear to think about.

He hugged Jessie and Meowth closer and directed Koffing to head to the closest shore.

* * *

><p>"Finally a vacation!" Brock exclaimed. "And all the water from the storm's dried up already!"<p>

_So some of the beach is dry and some is wet then? _Pikachu asked confused. _I don't really see why that matters, we're just going to go swiiiiiiiimmmg!_

Ash threw off his shirt and jumped in the water as Pikachu spoke, startling his first pokémon. Brock joined him.

"A chance to spend some time in the sun and the ocean without having to worry about drowning or drying," Brock sighed contentedly as he waded in. "This is the life."

Ash nodded in agreement.

"I thought we were supposed to meet at the snack bar?" Misty called out from the shore. Brock and Ash turned to look.

She was wearing a red strapped bikini, edged with green, giving the two boys an eyeful of her developing curves. Brock took notice, but didn't look too closely. He wasn't interested in her in that manner. Ash looked closely for reasons different than the norm.

"Why'd I think you were a boy back a Pewter City again?" He asked her, not thinking of the consequences of asking the question out loud.

_It was the baggy clothes, _Pikachu supplied helpfully.

"You mistook her for a boy at Pewter City?" Brock laughed. "You never told me about that."

"You..." Misty growled, a tick mark forming on her forehead. She chucked a beach ball at Ash's forehead. Ash yelped as the inflated sphere hit his forehead and fell back into the water.

_Hehe, sucker, _chuckled Pikachu, treading water nearby.

"So how'd that happen?" Brock asked.

"I was still recovering from the spearow attack and was wearing long pants and a blue sweatshirt," Misty explained, still fuming. "I help this idiot out with Team Rocket and then he calls me a 'swell guy'."

"I said I was sorry," Ash protested. Brock chuckled and shook his head.

"Aaron, you really don't get women do you?"

"I don't get humans," Ash muttered under his breath.

_Neither do I, _Pikachu said, his sharp hearing picking up Ash's words. _And for the record, they think you're an idiot too._

Misty quit fuming once she got in the water and the three of them played in the shallows for a bit, tossing the beach ball back and forth, laughing when a wave swamped them, Brock and Misty telling jokes, and Pikachu paddled around.

Brock accidently thew the ball too far out, the ball bobbing over depths that were over their heads.

"I got it," Ash cried out, jumping up and diving under the water. He swam under the waves toward the beach ball.

Misty quirked her eyebrow in surprise as Aaron swam away. The boy swam like a fish or a water type pokémon. That wasn't a comment on his skill, from what Misty could make out of his progress it seemed slightly below average, but on his form. He didn't use his arms to propel himself at all, instead he relied on the motions of his body and legs. She hadn't really noticed this escaping the SS Anne where he had been mainly relying on his Squirtle for propulsion.

"Who taught you how to swim?" The red haired trainer asked the boy when he returned.

"Nobody," Ash quickly lied. "I learned by watching pokémon."

"That explains your form," Misty tapped he chin. "Why didn't your parents teach you?"

"They were busy with other things," Ash replied, shrugging. "They probably were going to, but since I already knew how..."

"Oh."

"What are your parents like?" Brock asked.

Dead.

"Calm," Aaron replied. Brock waited for him to continue. When the young trainer failed to do so, Brock spoke up again.

"That's it? Just calm?"

"Sort of. Umm..." Ash dug through his early memories. There was a smirking man and a woman fussing over him. "Dad's a guy who's usually happy and laid back. Mom's a bit more of a worrywart."

"Where exactly did you grow up?" Asked Misty. She and Brock moved closer to Ash. Pikachu idly circled them with a backstroke.

"By Pallet Town" -for my whole life- "for awhile and then by Route Eleven." Lies. "I had to take a bus back to Pewter City and the walk through the Virdian Forest to get Pikachu."

_Liar liar, pants on fire, _Pikachu rhymed as he swam by.

"Where'd you go to school?" The red haired trainer asked as she leaned back to enjoy the sun and the waves.

"An elementary school in Pallet Town and then a small school in some town in Route Eleven."

"You don't remember the names?" That struck Brock as odd, Aaron should have been going up until he left to being his trainer's journey.

"I didn't pay too much attention," Ash replied. "And I had to miss a lot. Family stuff."

"Really? What stuff?"

"Illnesses," Aaron searched his memory for the stories that Poison Lance had prepared. "My dad got really sick for a while. And I had to help out with the wild pokémon."

"Wild pokémon?"

"Yeah. We'd look after their eggs and heal them and stuff."

"You never mentioned anything about that back at the village," Misty interjected.

"I didn't really see the need," Ash replied, rubbing the back of his head. It wasn't like they had that much time to talk anyway.

"So any friends you're hoping to run into on your journey?" Brock asked, throwing the beach ball at Aaron. Ash hit it to Misty and the three of them resumed their water-play.

"Just Gary Oak," Ash told Brock.

"Professor Oak's grandson? I didn't know you knew him. Is that why he asked you to call him every time you stopped at a pokémon center?"

"Sort of. I had to call him in Viridian City and when he heard about me saving Misty, he asked me to keep him informed. Misty's the one who makes me call at each center."

"You'd never do it otherwise," Misty huffed as Ash slapped the ball to Brock. "Honestly, if it weren't for me, you still wouldn't have filled out your pokédex registration."

Right, Ash realized he still needed to do that.

"You didn't make friends up by Route Eleven?" Brock asked.

"No. We lived pretty far away from everybody." And he had to hide from other humans, which obviously made making friends with human children difficult.

"That's why I came back to Pallet, so I could meet Gary as we started out." Ash told his two human friends.

"So why didn't you travel with him? Did you miss him getting there?" Misty asked.

"Nah, he... changed," Ash said, thinking of what had happened with his first human friend. "We're rivals now."

"Oh, Arceus, not another..." Brock moaned, putting his face into his hand. The beach ball bounced off his head. "Hey. Don't send the ball this way while I'm bemoaning cliches!"

"Cliches?" Ash inquired.

"Yes, cliches. Two rivals trainers seeking mastery is the oldest cliche in the book," Brock replied, lifting his head as Misty swam off to retrieve the beach ball.

"So what was it like, where you grew up?" Misty said, changing the subject and spiking the ball at Aaron.

"It was..." Ash thought for a moment. "Unique. We didn't have very much money, and we couldn't eat a lot. But I always got to see the wild pokémon! And we had plenty of books, so I could read a lot."

"You had money for books but not food?" Brock asked as Misty bumped the ball to Aaron.

"No, we just had a lot of books from before. Or we got them cheap when we had the money." Ash whacked the ball back to Misty.

"So you just read and worked with pokémon?" Misty set the ball and then dove back into the water to kick the inflated sphere to Brock.

"Uh..." Ash stared at Misty in shock for a moment. "Well, yeah pretty much. I also spent time learning survival skills. Lots and lots of time in the woods."

"That explains some things," spoke Brock. "I was wondering why you always seemed a bit uncomfortable in cities. And hiking would explain your athleticism."

Ash just shrugged. Their conversation turned to inconsequential matters as they continued to play in the water. Eventually the sun reached its peak and began to fall and the swimmers grew hungry. Brock and Misty swam and waded to shore, while Ash followed behind, carrying an exhausted Pikachu.

They quickly toweled off, threw on a few more scraps of clothes, and then went looking for somewhere to eat.

There were a variety of snack bars by the beach, but the party was in the mood for something more substantial. They went further into town, looking for beachside grills and restaurants.

Down one street, the trio plus Pikachu came across a grey bearded old man in an unbuttoned Hawaiian shirt, swim trunks, and a wide brimmed hat. He was sitting on a bench outside of an empty restaurant and looking like his dog had just died. Ash decided to see what the problem was.

"What's wrong?" The pokéraised child asked the old man, to the discomfort of Brock and Misty. The old man looked up, surprised that someone was taking an interest.

"Why do you want to know?" The old man asked suspiciously. People didn't randomly come up to you on the street and offer to help you.

"I wanna see if I can help?" Ash replied.

Or, maybe sometimes they did. The old man took a closer look at Ash.

"Er, alright sonny, it couldn't hurt to have an ear for my problems," the old man said. "I'm Moe, and I'm in a spot of financial trouble. Business isn't all that good and I've got debts piling up. I owe Brutella, the hag that owns the restaurant over there," the old man pointed across the street, "some money, and if I can't pay soon, she'll take my boat. I was planning to take a trip around the world on her. Some crazy kids wrecked my pier last night too and I need money to fix that!"

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Ash asked eagerly. Brock and Misty sighed.

"I could use some help around the place, but..."

"I'll do it!" Ash replied excitedly. "Sorry guys, I'll meet you later-"

"I'll help too," Brock said, probably rolling his eyes. "Someone's got to keep an eye on you."

Brock, after so many years trapped in the Pewter City gym, had a soft spot for people struggling with their dreams.

"Misty..." The former Pewter City gym leader began. The water type specialist sighed.

"I'll come along." Well, it was for a good cause.

* * *

><p>And so the trainers became food service staff for the day. Ash handed out flyers advertising Moe's restaurant, and Misty waited on tables. Brock alternated by the two roles and Moe focused entirely on the cooking.<p>

It worked. Customers were coming in thicker than before, straight from the beach, still in their swimwear sometimes, to enjoy Moe's cooking. The fliers brought customers in from the streets. Misty was a big hit as she waited on tables, garnering compliments and tips that she gave to Moe.

(Brock never noticed, but he got several admiring looks from their female patrons, who giggled when they saw him looking at them. It did nothing to help Brock's ego.)

"This is actually sort of fun," Misty commented to Brock and Aaron, walking past with platters of foods.

"I know what she means," Brock told Aaron. "It's a nice change of pace. How long were you thinking of helping?"

"A couple days," Ash replied. He knew a bit about money problems. "I just wanted to give him a boost, make him feel better so he'll do better."

"That's... surprisingly mature of you," Brock said, stroking his chin. "Aiding his psychological health by giving him some hope could deliver great benefits down the line."

Ash shrugged. He just wanted to make the world a better place like a pokémon trainer should.

* * *

><p>The trainers went to the beach the next day, this time finding a spot that allowed pokémon, and spent all morning there. At noon they collected their pokémon and went back to Moe's shack, still in little more than their beach wear. They returned to their previous duties.<p>

"You kids are a life saver. That's right, a real life saver." Moe told them. "It's been a while since I've seen the place this busy."

"We're just happy to help," Ash replied happily. He spotted an ugly looking red haired old woman across the street, by the restaurant located there. She was glaring at Moe's place, while a pretty blonde haired lady passed out menus.

"Who's that?" He asked Moe, before the owner could go back in.

"That's Brutella. Don't know why she's so grumpy," Moe drawled. "Between you and me, I think she wants my boat. And I've never seen that waitress before."

"She's pretty looking," Brock commented. "But she seems familiar."

"Another lost love of yours?" Misty snarked as she walked by. "I wouldn't let any of the Joys, Jenny's, or Melanie know about this..."

"Shut up!" Brock snapped at her, blushing.

"Wow, they're really raking in the customers," Brock commented the next day, when the kids returned. Crowds of beach goers were flocking to Brutella's place, passing by Moe's restaurant without a second glance. "I wonder what she did differently?"

"I don't know," Ash stated. "But we'll just have to do better!" The trainer grabbed his pokéballs. "Everybody get out!"

White light blazed and Ash's team solidified. Pikachu jumped off Ash's shoulder and joined their ranks.

_Everybody reporting in Captain idiot! _The yellow mouse chirped, saluting. Ash ignored the insult.

"Pikachu, Squirtle, I want you two to go down to the beach and hand out fliers," he said, giving them both a pile of papers.

"Aren't you worried that someone will try and steal them?" Brock asked.

"They're welcome to Pikachu," Ash quipped, "I feel sorry for whoever tries."

_I love you too Ashy boy._

"Pidgeotto, you help Moe keep the coals in the grill hot."

_Aye, aye __captain, _the flying type replied. Ash rolled his eyes. He hated it when Pidgeotto joined Pikachu in the sarcasm.

"Charmander, I want you to help Moe with the grill fire."

_But Ash... _Charmander said in a whining tone.

"Just think of it as a training exercise," Ash told his fire type, responding to the tone of voice rather than the actual words.

"Bulbasaur, you get to help Misty wait on tables."

_Heh, heh, time to make tentacle jokes._

Ash wondered about his grass type's sense of humor. Then he wondered if being able to understand pokémon was actually a blessing.

"Butterfree... make sure Squirtle behaves."

_Hey!_

_Sure thing Ash._

Ash's plan worked. Pikachu and Squirtle increased the visibility of the restaurant, using their charm to convince people to take a look at the fliers. Charmander and Pidgeotto helped Moe to shorten the cooking times, to serve the new numbers more quickly, reducing the time it took for Moe to get the grill to the correct temperature. Bulbasaur helped Misty with Moe's increased output, balancing dishes on his vines with great skill.

Ash didn't hear any tentacle jokes from the green pokémon. He couldn't tell if he was lucky or if Bulbasaur had just been screwing with him. Hopefully it was the later.

Butterfree hovered by Squirtle and Pikachu, stopping Squirtle from playing pranks and Pikachu from shocking a couple of bikes and bikers.

The pokéraised child noticed Brutella glaring at Moe's place again. He wondered what her problem was.

Ash also noticed the blonde woman working there giving him a strange look. Thinking about what Brock had said, Ash agreed, for some reason she seemed familiar.

* * *

><p>The next day, after another trip to the beach, the gang repeated their actions from the previous day. Once more Ash sent out his pokémon to assist in the running of Moe's shack. And once more they set out to do their tasks.<p>

But today bad luck plagued their footsteps.

A sudden gust of wind ripped most of the fliers out of Squirtle and Pikachu's paws. Butterfree was able to catch some of them, but most drifted out to sea.

Another gust of wind knocked Pidgeotto off balance, causing her to lose control of her gust and knock the grill over. Water kept spilling near Charmander, scaring the poor fire type so badly that he couldn't control his flame. Moe was forced to go without their help.

Bulbasaur noticed the sudden appearance of a lot of objects that could potentially trip him up. He was able to avoid the hazards and keep Misty safe from them. Thanks to his efforts the two were able to perform their duties without difficulties.

"Errrgh!" Brock growled as hegripped the sides of his hair. "What's wrong with today."

"I don't know," Moe replied. "I've had days like this before, but never this bad."

Ash idly noticed that the blonde woman at Brutella's wasn't seen as often.

* * *

><p>"We were so close," Moe moaned. "We almost made enough to give me a chance at the next payment."<p>

They were situated in the kitchen. A 'Closed for the Day' sign hung on the front door. Pikachu and Squirtle played outside, while Bulbasaur lay under the table. Moe was at the table, pouring over numbers for the last couple days, Brock sitting on the other side. Ash stood next to them, while Misty leaned on the wall near the door. A fan spun lazily overhead, keeping the room from overheating.

"There's got to be something else we can do to get money," Ash said, pacing back and forth.

"I can't think of anything that would get more money then what we were doing," Brock told the boy. "Misty, do you have any idea."

"No," Misty replied downcast.

_We should have looted some bodies, _Bulbasaur spoke up. _They were lying all over the place back at the village and Pikachu says you do that in all the video games._

Ash ignored his pokémon in favor of trying to brainstorm some more.

"There's got to be something," the trainer said heatedly.

"Maybe I can provide a suggestion," a voice spoke up from the kitchen entrance. Everybody turned to look at the source.

It was the pokémon professor himself, Samuel Oak. He was wearing a white lab coat and swimming trunks.

"Hello Aaron," the former champion said to the aspiring master.

"Professor Oak! What are you doing here?"

"I'm here with my tour group from Pallet Town," Oak replied. "And I was just walking down the street when I heard your voices. If it's money you need, there's a beauty and pokémon costume contest tomorrow with a cash prize for the winner. I was thinking that you could have Misty enter..."

"She's not old enough," Brock said automatically.

"Actually... how old are you little lady?" Moe asked Misty.

"I'm twelve, I'll be thirteen in a couple weeks. But as a registered gym trainer, I'm emancipated." Misty answered. "Why, what are the eligibility rules?"

"It's within a month of your thirteenth birthday," Oak replied. "I know it's a bit young, but Porta Vista is tied with Saffron City for the lowest age of consent in Kanto, fourteen."

"Why's it so low?" Brock asked.

"Well, Saffron City was hit hardest by the war and they needed to repopulate quickly," Professor Oak began.

"And Porta Vista did it for tourism reasons," Moe interjected. "Our city council was run by a bunch of dirty old men at the time and we haven't had a pressing reason to change it."

"How old do you have to be to be a grown up?" Ash inquired.

"Age of majority is the same here as it is everywhere in the League," Oak informed the boy. "Eighteen. Ease of emancipation varies in each member state though."

"So our best chance of getting the money we need is a contest only one of us can enter? This feels like the plot to a TV show or a crappy special." Misty said, crossing her arms. "Are there any prizes for the runner's up, because the odds are against me winning."

"Nope." Oak shook his head. "It's all or nothing."

"Hmmm... if Misty's too ugly then we can always try and make up for it with the costume," Ash suggested innocently.

"You..." Misty growled. That comment had really hurt.

"Aaron, you shouldn't call Misty ugly," Professor Oak chided the boy.

"I didn't," Ash protested.

"You just did! You said if she's too ugly to win..." Misty pointed out, keeping the tears from her eyes.

"But you were talking about not being able to win the contest..."

"It doesn't mean that I'm ugly!"

"What does it mean then?"

"It just means there are prettier women out there then me."

"Isn't that the same thing?"

"No! It isn't!" Misty shouted.

"Oh. Then I picked bad words. I'm sorry." Ash said downcast. "Really sorry. I didn't know."

"You can read all those books but you didn't know that?" Brock was confused.

"I'm weird like that," Ash told the former gym leader. When he read he translated the characters to pokémon speech most of the time instead of the human equivalents. "Misty, I'm really sorry okay. I'm an idiot."

"Fine," Misty huffed.

"When's the latest you can register?" Brock asked the former champion.

"Up until an hour before it starts."

"Misty, it seems to be our best chance. Do you think you can do it?" Brock asked, turning to the angry red head.

"Yes," Misty said, keeping her voice monotone. "But we'll need a custom idea."

"I've got some," Brock replied. "Aaron, we'll need to borrow Squirtle."

* * *

><p>Night had fallen over Porta Vista. It was cool out as the blonde woman, who worked at Brutella's restaurant, navigated some back alleys. She kept a practiced eye out for any of the possibly unsavory elements of the town as she hurried in her waitress uniform and sunglasses.<p>

She came to an unremarkable metal door. The blonde knocked three times, waited a bit, and then knocked another three times with a different tempo. Nothing happened and after a couple more seconds, she knocked three times once more, once again in a unique tempo. This time the sound of clicks came from the other side and the woman opened the door.

Inside rested Jessie and Meowth. Meowth was fussing over some bandages on Jessie and Jessie was examining some equipment.

"I can't tell if this piece is good or not," Jessie complained as the blonde woman entered. "James, you take a look."

She tossed the piece to the blonde woman, who caught it and took off her wig in one motion. Underneath the wig was a head of purple hair. James then took off the sunglasses.

"It's good enough," he told his compatriot. "Meowth, how are her injuries?"

"They'd be better if she just rested a bit!" Meowth replied.

"I'm fine." Jessie paused for a moment and surveyed herself. She still had a bit of a lump on her head and her ribs still bothered her. "Sort of. Have the twerps left yet?"

"No. I spent the whole day sabotaging their efforts and they didn't get the hint."

"I suppose we wouldn't want Ash if he gave up easily," Jessie mused. "But we really can't afford to have them stumble over us in our current condition. We'll need to make money and fast if they won't leave."

"There's still the beauty contest," Meowth said. "I managed to prevent about six girls from signing up earlier."

"And I stopped five, and made it so four more wouldn't be able to compete during my breaks, when I wasn't sabotaging the twerps," James reported. "There'll only be a small number of other entrants and I should be able to beat them handily."

Koffing floated over, with Ekans curled on his back.

_Our costume's ready, _the gas bag pokémon told Meowth.

"Ekans and Koffing are ready," the cat scratch pokémon relayed to the two humans. "You two should get some rest, you'll be useless tired."

"Alright," James said, stifling a yawn. "Just make sure to wake me up early so I have plenty time to prepare."

"Fine. I can finish the last of the sub work tomorrow," Jessie said. "James, how do you make it look so easy?"

"No clue, it just is." James replied. "Don't worry about it, I'm sure you did fine."

"Make sure to look it over. I don't want to be blamed if it explodes."

* * *

><p>Bright sunlight shone down on the stands as Brock, Professor Oak, Moe, Ash, and Pikachu filed into their seats. They had arrived a little early and thus had a little time to get situated before the stands got crowed.<p>

The stands where the audience sat were arranged in a semi circle in front of the contest stage. They were large enough to seat a couple hundred people, with snack stands in the gaps between sections of bleachers. There were a small number of vendors peddling their wares from within the crowd as well.

The contest area consisted of a stage decorated to give a view of a tropical island and the sea beneath. Painted sea pokémon swam beneath false waves, while some tropical pokémon played on sandy beaches near a palm tree, all under a rainbow. There was an aisle between the back and fore stage, which concealed the contestants until they reached center stage, which itself was concealed by red curtains.

"So how many other contestants are there?" Ash asked Brock, who was reading the event's handout.

"Not very many." Brock replied.

"That's odd," Professor Oak mused. "Usually there's dozens of entrants. I wonder what happened this year."

"Who's first?" Ash inquired.

"Misty is. Not sure if that will work to our advantage or not..." Brock looked at the clock. "We should quit talking now, it's going to start soon."

And less than a minute later the announcer spoke up.

"Welcome ladies and gentlemen, guys and gals, and beach goers of all ages to the annual Porta Vista beauty contest! Are you ready?"

The crowd shouted.

"I can't hear you!"

The crowd roared, louder that time.

"What was that?"

Once more the roar of the crowd sounded out.

"That's more like it! We've got a smaller number of contestants than usual this year, but what they lack in quantity, they make up for in quality! So let's get this contest started, with our first contestant, Misty!"

The curtains opened up and Misty, in her red bikini with green borders, walked out. She made sure not to strut, but instead took small steps, as her sisters had taught her.

The Cerulean gym, along with the woman only Celadon gym, and the ninja staffed Fuschia gym, offered its trainers seduction classes. Misty's sisters had given their youngest sibling an altered curriculum based off of those classes. They called it 'charm classes' and in the same way seduction classes were supposed to give trainers an edge in battle against opponents attracted to them and in information gathering, the 'charm classes' were meant to use Misty's age and apparent naivety to charm information out of people and make opponents hesitate. Misty hadn't really paid attention, she had been young when they tried to teach her, and it wasn't really her style anyway.

Currently though, she wished she had payed a little more attention. She closed her eyes, smiled, and waved innocently at the crowd, who was clapping, cheering, and shouting.

"This is totally embarrassing and degrading, but we need the money..." She muttered under her breath. The red haired trainer reached the end of the walkway and stood with her hands and arms held away from her sides.

"Let's give a big hand to this lovely and talented water trainer from Cerulean City who's making a big splash here today!"

The crowd roared and erupted in applause.

"Now, let's see what costume she came up with." Starmie and Squirlte followed Misty on stage.

Starmie was floating perpendicular to its usual axis and was wearing a sort of metal skirt and dome, decorated with bright oval stones. Squirtle was wearing a bulky futurististic looking helmet. Starmie swayed to and fro over Misty.

_Hey, everyone, look at me! _Squirtle shouted. He tipped his head back and shot a small fountain of water into the air. Misty struck a pose under the sparkling drops.

"And it's a combination, Starmie as a flying saucer and Squirtle as an extra-terrestrial!" The announcer cried out. "An imaginative idea! Giver her another round of applause folks!"

Misty took a small bow as the crowd clapped and then withdrew backstage.

"Next up we have Jasmine!" The blonde woman from Brutella's restaurant strutted onto the stage. She was wearing a green one piece that showed off her nice breasts and drew attention away from her hips.

"She's a poison specialist from Fuschia city and let's see what costume she has for her pokémon!"

An Ekans and a Koffing floated onstage. Ekans was coiled up into a wheel, very skillfully balancing on top of Koffing. Koffing was wearing a seaweed skirt in front, with two weeds in the middle hanging lower than the rest.

Ash was a little nervous at that display, after all Team Rocket used a highly trained Koffing and Ekans. If he was a little closer he could try and tell if they were the Rocket pokémon, but currently they were too far away. He turned to Brock.

"Is there any chance they could be from Team Rocket?" He asked the former Pewter City gym leader. Brock mulled his question over for a second and then took a long look at Jasmine.

"No, that woman has different curves then Jessie. It's not them." He reassured Aaron.

"And Koffing and Ekans are dressed as an Omastar." The announcer said. "What an interesting idea! Give them a hand ladies and gents!"

Jasmine bowed as the crowd applauded and she and her pokémon withdrew.

* * *

><p>Backstage Jasmine ducked behind a corner and pulled out a walkie talkie from the backpack she had left there.<p>

"James reporting in," he said into the device, his voice giving no sign of his discomfort. Honestly, he was using a contraption under the one piece to constrict his waist, making him appear more feminine. It really was uncomfortable.

"How'd ya do?" Meowth's voice returned.

"Okay. Not bad, but not good. And get this, one of the twerp's has entered the contest too."

"So this plan failed..." This time it was Jessie's voice. "Describe the crowd."

"Tourists." James replied simply.

"I've got an idea. James, you've been working so hard lately, you should take a break. Go enjoy yourself. Just make sure you do it somewhere away from here."

"What's the plan?" The cross dressing man asked.

"I'm not telling you, you'll want to help, and you'll just end up doing more work. Now shoo! Go enjoy yourself."

"Aye, aye," James replied, putting the walkie talkie back in the bag. He had a bad feeling about this.

* * *

><p>"And up next we have... Gary Oak's fan club! Six beautiful ladies. Picking the best looking one out of all these girls will be tough, but it's a good kind of tough."<p>

Misty thought that the announcer seemed a bit like Brock as she slumped backstage.

"With a buildup like that, there's no way they'll remember me," moaned the red haired trainer.

"What!?" Ash shouted. "Professor, why didn't you tell me Gary was going to be here?"

"He was supposed to arrive here tomorrow," the pokémon professor answered, confused.

"And what's this about his fan club?" Brock asked. "Does he have cheerleaders or something?"

"He does," Ash told Brock.

"What the hell is up with that?" Brock turned back to Oak. "Are they some sort of secret bodyguard squad or something?"

"No, they're an actual fanclub." Oak replied. "I don't get it either."

So Gary having cheerleaders was weird. Ash felt a bit relieved. He had wondered if he had been committing some gaffe as a trainer from Pallet Town going around without cheerleaders, but now he knew. This was exactly why he had started traveling with Brock and Misty.

"Yo, yo, yo!" Everybody turned their attention back to the stage. Six pretty girls, Gary's cheerleaders, and Gary himself stood on it. On his right stood all the girls in the two piece swimsuits and on his left stood all the girls in the one piece suits. "It's Gary Oak from Pallet Town saying it's nice to be here Porta Vista!"

The crowd cheered.

"Anyway, I heard my rival, Aaron Autumns would be in the crowd today, and my adorable fan club wanted to enter the contest, so here we are. Now, where is my honorable rival?"

"Hey!" Ash shouted, getting out of his seat, accidently knocking poor Pikachu over.

_Ouuuuch... _Pikachu said unhappily.

"Hey, Gary," Ash shouted, running up to the stage. He jumped and climbed up onto the walkway. "I'm right here! You wanna battle?"

"It is good to see that you are embracing the spirit of our rivalry," Gary shouted. Ash wondered if he realized he was still holding the microphone up to his mouth. "But, regrettably, my pokémon are currently at the center."

Curses. Ash had hoped that he could use a pokémon battle to snap Gary out of his insanity. He wanted his first human friend back to normal already!

"So, my honorable rival-" Gary began, but was cut off by screaming from the stands.

"It's a gyarados!" Ash and Gary both turned to look at the beach. Out of the water exploded a shiny blue serpentine pokémon, roaring furiously.

All Ash heard was gibberish.

He took a closer look as people started to panic and run. He could make out something under the supposed water pokémon. Treads.

"That's not a real gyarados!" Ash turned to Gary. "If you don't have your pokémon, you better get out of here, it's not safe."

"If you think you can handle the situation, rival, then I will gladly stand aside. Come on girls, let's find a place with a nice view of the festivities." Gary left, followed by his fanclub.

Two missiles soared out of the front of the mouth of the machine, streaking across the beach. Ash hadn't had time to release his pokémon, all he could do was seek cover.

"Starmie, Barrage Counter those missiles!" Misty shouted, coming out from backstage.

_On it! _Starmie sped out over the crowd and let loose a wide plume of high velocity water. The liquid sparkled in the sunlight as the two missiles impacted on the blue shield. Trailing smoke as they tumbled back, the two missiles were unchanged for a moment before they exploded, sending nets flying all over the beach.

"Thanks Misty!" Ash shouted to his friend.

"Anytime!" She replied.

Ash nodded and turned his hat backwards.

" Let's go guys!" Pokeballs flew and pokémon came out. Pidgeotto, Butterfree, Bulbasaur, and Charmander assembled around Ash, as Pikachu ran up from the stands, and Squirlte scampered over from backstage.

Another missile streaked from the submarine.

"Aaron, that's a heat seeking missile!" Professor Oak shouted, cursing the fact that he hadn't brought his pokémon with him.

"Got it! Charmander, long range Flamethrower on that dune over there!" Ash ordered pointing.

Charmander drew in a deep breath and unleashed a stream of fire. It lanced through the air, hitting and engulfing a dune a ways away from the contest area. Ash saw the missile wobble and then change course. It turned towards the stream of fire and exploded, sending a gray fluid everywhere.

"Is that glue?" Brock asked, running up to Aaron. Like Professor Oak the former gym leader hadn't brought his pokémon.

"Pikachu, hit that sub with Thunders! Keep it up, don't let them get off another missile!"

_Bon voyage mecha gyarados! _Pikachu shouted. Yellow power blazed around him and then arced up, slamming into the gyarados submarine. Electricity crackled and skittered all over the hull, and it halted in its tracks. The sub however sustained no damage. Undeterred, Pikachu fired another one.

Ash thought furiously for a plan. Charmander couldn't redirect the missiles without some sort of fireball attack, Pikachu would simply increase the ambient heat, the missiles were too fast for Butterfree to get a good grip on them (but he could at least deflect them), Bulbasaur didn't know Solar Beam, and Pidgeotto...

Wait that could work, Pidgeotto could easily carry Charmander, and then use Charmander's tail flame to misguide the missile, Flamethrower the sub...

Ash was about to give the orders when a memory flashed through his head. Charmander, on the rock, with his tail flame so weak, so very fragile looking, so very close to death-

No. Ash shook his head. It was only a glue missile and worst come to worst, Butterfree could save them.

_Idiot, I'm going to need a second soon, _Pikachu told his trainer. The repeated Thunders were taking their toll on the electric type.

"Pidgeotto, Charmander, listen up. Pidgeotto I need you to carry Charmander in front of the next missile and get it to follow you two. After that, carry Charmander close to the sub. Charamander, when you get close, hit it with a Flamethrower. Butterfree, you cover them. Use Confusion on the missile if it gets to close to them."

_I'll do my best Ash! _Butterfree trilled.

_Alright, let's show them what we're made of! _Charmander pumped his fist into the air.

_Hang tight, _Pidgeotto said, swooping down and grabbing the fire type.

"Pikachu, you can let up now." Pikachu sagged with relief and started to pant.

_Give me ten seconds and then I'm ready, _the electric type told his trainer. That endurance training was paying off.

Once more the submarine fired a missile and resumed its charge. But this time Pidgeotto sped across its travel vector, Charmander in tow. The missile's guidance system picked up on the heat source and changed course. It curved around and began trailing Ash's pokémon.

Pidgeotto banked and soared towards the submarine, the missile gaining ground on her. Charmander waited and Ash watched nervously from the sidelines and the missile inched closer and closer to his pokémon.

Charmander opened his mouth and bathed the sub in flames, orange fire engulfing the head. The missile's guidance system picked up on the new, stronger, heat source and changed course to intercept. It struck the sub and exploded, splatter glue everywhere, filling the mouth.

"It's a direct hit!" Brock crowed.

"Atta boy Aaron!" Misty cheered. She idly noticed that there wasn't a hint of a blush on her cheeks like she had been expecting lately.

The submarine reversed course and sped towards the water, entering the ocean with a large splash.

"Alright we did it everyone!" Ash shouted, laughing from the feeling of exhilaration coursing through him, like a bengin version of Pikachu's electricity.

_We can see that idiot. _Pikachu jumped on his trainer's head. _But you really should be working on victory puns. Nobody will take you seriously unless you can suavely say some fitting or funny one liner at times like this._

* * *

><p>"Thanks kids," Moe said, working on his pier. It was the day after the contest,and once again it was sunny in Porta Vista. Ash, Brock, and Misty, in their regular clothes, all stood at the end of the dock as the old man hammered away. "You were a life saver. I don't know what I would've done without you. I'll always remember you. "<p>

"It was nothing," Brock told the older man. "It was actually sort of fun."

"Yeah. And it gave me a chance to win that beauty contest!" Misty said, brandishing the trophy. She had gotten first place for both her performance, and for protecting everyone from the first barrage of missiles. She had given the money to Moe, who had used it to catch up on his payments.

"It was quite the performance," Professor Oak spoke up from behind the group, "from both of you. Aaron, you grow to be a more interesting trainer each time I see you. Keep it up. And Misty, if you keep going at your current pace, you'll surpass your sisters in no time."

"Thanks Professor," Misty replied beaming.

"It was great seeing you again Professor Oak," Ash said. " And it was great meeting you Moe. But we've got to get going now."

"Bye!" Moe and Oak waved to them as they walked away. When they had left, Moe returned to his work, and the pokémon professor sat down nearby.

"Kids like that are good for us weary old souls," sighed Samuel Oak.

"Weary? These bones are full of energy!" Moe laughed.

"Well, yours maybe. But mine aren't. I've done a lot and failed to do a lot more. My bones are weighed down by all of that. But being around those kids helps. Aaron in particular." Oak frowned. "I never noticed this before, but I often think about Delia before I talk with him."

"Delia?" Moe inquired.

"A former student and dead friend. She was killed under my implicit protection." Oak stroked his chin.

"So what does it mean? You thinking about her when you're thinking about that boy? Is he her son or something?"

"No. Her son, Ash, died with her. It's probably nothing." Oak said, waving away Moe's suggestions. "It's just curious, that's all." He smiled all of a sudden. "Maybe it happens, because when Aaron becomes the next champion, he won't fail like I did."

"You think he'll become Champion of some League?" Moe asked.

"No. I know he will."

* * *

><p>Author's Notes: I had to do this one, it had Gary Oak in it.<p>

I'd like to thank PublicMasicator for beta reading, and for Selm for trying despite Selm's new workload.


	20. Chapter 20

AN: The plague upon the world known as ConstructiveWriter LIVES!

* * *

><p>Kanto never seemed to run out of bright and sunny days Ash reflected as he walked down cliffs by the seaside. Sunlight sparkled off the cerulean waves below as they rolled and crashed into the rocks on the bottoms of the cliffs Scattered small clouds drifted through the sky as Ash and his friends walked the grass covered cliffs. It had been a couple weeks since Porta Vista.<p>

Misty had picked up an unusual Psyduck. Well, less picked up and more press-ganged into having him on her team. The... well there's no avoiding the phrase, odd duck had noticed them as they were returning from helping a wounded horsea and walked over. He took a look at Misty, declared that she looked like she could use an experienced hand, and then grabbed a pokéball. It was the first time Ash had ever heard of a pokémon catching themselves.

Sometime after leaving Porta Vista they had stumbled across another seaside town, this time one famous for ghosts rather than beaches. When they encountered the said ghost, Ash and Pikachu immediately knew it was a gastly. The ghost type convinced them to play along with his game for the sake of the town's festival and traditions. Ash and Pikachu had a grand time helping the pokémon out with its haunting. When it came time for the festival Ash and Brock had to excuse themselves from the festivities due to their lack of proper clothing. Brock sulked somewhere while Ash and his team had a merry time with the gastly.

That had been a few days ago. Currently it was late morning and Ash was consulting the map, trying to figure out the best way to get to Lavender Town.

"We take that that path, there," Ash said to Brock and Misty, pointing to a little shelf jutting out of the cliffs that wound along the coast. "And then halfway to Saffron City we turn east here," the pokéraised child gestured at the map. "And then we take this route to Lavender Town."

"Why do you want to go there anyway?" Misty inquired. "Planning to pay your respects?"

To beings still here rather than the departed, Ash thought to himself, not bothering to figure out where ghost types stood on the whole alive dead undead scale.

"Pretty much," the boy responded to the girl.

"And after that?" Brock inquired.

"On to Saffron City to get a badge," Ash called Aaron replied.

"Good plan."

_I wonder what this pokémon is going to be like, _Pikachu said from the back of Ash's head. _Poison Lance is all stuffy and Pocket Watch is full of himself, so what's Lucas's ghost type like?_

Ash refrained from reacting to his pokémon's musings. He really hated it when Pikachu said something substantial and he couldn't reply.

The group continued down the path, the salty wind brushing against patches of exposed skin as the sea roared below. The path wasn't narrow enough to make walking difficult, but Ash and Brock both had to deal with a mild case of vertigo that made the going more difficult then it needed to be. They refused to look down. Misty, on the other hand, was totally fine. She stared over the edge, occasionally pointing things out to the boys who refused to look.

Both the inexperienced trainer and the gym leader breathed a little sigh of relief when the path lead to a series of lower cliffs where they didn't have to walk so bloody close to a fatal fall.

"Wimps," Misty said, rolling her eyes as they continued forward.

After traveling a bit further on the new set of clifftops, something caught Ash's eye. Streams of white and purple shapes fluttered away from the coast, streaming into a gigantic mess of pokémon in the sky above the sea. The occasional human figure on the clifftop or in a hot air balloon sent another shape into the swarm. The humans in the balloons formed a multicolored floating buoy around the swarm, marking its limits. Brock and Misty saw it all as well.

"What are those?" Ash, hand shading his eyes as he peered. He could hear a bunch of loud muddled conversation coming from the cloud.

"They're butterfrees Aaron," Brock answered, "listen to their cries."

... _I guess there are advantages to not understanding pokémon, _stated Pikachu.

Ash didn't bother reaching for the low hanging fruit. Not that he could with Misty and Brock nearby, but still...

"Why are there so many of them?" Ash said starting to walk in the direction of the pokémon swarm.

"I don't know. Let's consult your pokédex." Brock replied.

Ash reached into his pocket and took out the red device. He opened it.

"Please fill out the registration form," came the mechanical voice, light beeping in sync with the words.

"You still haven't registered? How many weeks has it been!" Misty slapped a hand to her forehead.

"Don't know, haven't been counting," Ash replied, hitting the register later option. He'd get around to it one of these days. He started navigating through the options while Brock and Misty watched confused.

"Uh... you could just point it at them," Misty said hesitantly.

"Wouldn't that just give me the entry on butterfree?" Aaron asked.

"No, your model is more sophisticated than that. If there's something its algorithms find to be more relevant, it'll show that instead."

Ash wondered what an algorithm was. He'd have to look it up somewhere. The pokéraised boy pointed the pokémon encyclopedia at the swarm of flying bug types and hit a button.

"Butterfree, mating season," read the machine. "Every year some wild buttefree gather at the Kanto coast to form nomadic flocks, primarily for mating purposes."

"Mating?" Ash tilted his head to the side quizzically. "What's that?"

"It's, uh, you know..." Brock began blushing. "When a mommy and a daddy love each other very much and want kids-"

"Oh, sex," Ash replied still walking. Brock's jaw dropped and then his face and his palm met.

"Kids these days," the gym leader muttered as he followed along.

As the group got close they could make out individual butterfrees. Some hovered in groups, wings almost touching as they talked among themselves. Some danced together, delicate fluttering formations, each partner taking turns at taking cues as they wove patterns against the blue. Some were flying from individual to individual, stopping to talk, and sometimes engaging in a solo dance, before leaving and looking dejected.

Brock and Misty heard the mixed cries of the pokémon, blended together in a pressing chorus of the parts of the word 'butterfree' being trilled together. Ash and Pikachu heard the muddled noise of hundreds if not thousands of conversations.

Ash looked at the pokémon with a critical eye. He knew he was being biased, but none of the other butterfree looked as healthy as his Butterfree. None of their could match Butterfree's wings in luster, they seemed a bit smaller, and their antennae were slightly shorter. Why, he'd bet that Butterfree could beat most of them in a one on one fight!

Buttefree! He needed to talk with his pokémon.

* * *

><p>"Alright, let's do this!" Jessie said as she pulled on her mask. James nodded and followed suit.<p>

They were dressed in Silph Co uniforms. The uniforms had allowed them to get into the building, along with fake IDs provided by James. For once they were actually on assignment, a Rocket executive in the area had asked them to assist him by way of theft. Theft from the heavily guarded R&D department of Silph Co.

There were a couple of metallic sounds and then a small vent swung open.

"There you guys are," Meowth said, poking his coin adorned head out of the opening. "Do you know how long it took to sabotage the ventilation system and delay the repair guys?"

"Just long enough evidently," James replied. "We're just about to get started. Here" James held up a radio transmitter and receiver. "You know the drill."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Meowth responded. "Keep an eye on the guards from inside the vents and keep you informed as to their positions and movements."

"I've also broke their encryption, so you should be able to listen in on their communications," James informed the cat scratch pokémon. "Keep us updated about that as well."

"Got it," Meowth replied. "And when I say get out, you guys..."

"Get out," Jessie and James replied, rolling their eyes. "We know, we know. Honestly, Meowth, you don't need to constantly worry about us. We'll be fine."

"Someone's got to worry about you two," Meowth muttered to himself as he withdrew back into the vent and put on the radio. "Arceus knows you two need it."

Once Meowth had left Jessie and James stepped out of the alcove, hiding under the security camera. They were in a hallway with polished wood walls and metal floors and ceilings, with fluorescent lights shining down from overhead, leaving white reflections on the floors and walls.

Jessie and James waited until the security camera above reached the end of its sweep and started to move back before departing. They kept quiet while approaching the corner and then listened for the sounds of any guards. They heard nothing, Jessie peeked around the corner. No guards.

They swept around the corner and continued down the hallway. There was another alcove, one with a vending machine. Jessie and James ducked in. Jessie touched a finger to the talk button.

"Any info yet?"

"No patrols in your area," came Meowth's reply accompanied by the hiss of static. "I think it's because it's only storage and a couple of offices in that quadrant of the floor. There are a couple of guards patrolling the north most hallway, by the elevator. I can hear two in the northeast corner by the stair case. You'll have to get past them. Remember it's better if you don't knock them out, the exec doesn't want anyone to know that there was a break in for as long as possible."

"We know how to do a break in," James replied, rolling his eyes.

"Really? Then what about that time in Johto-"

"Never mind," Jessie said over the radio. "Just keep us updated on their movements."

* * *

><p><em>So, Butterfree... <em>Ash began.

Ash, Pikachu, and Buttefree sat in a small hollow on the flat clifftops. Brock and Misty sat by the edge, watching the swarm above. Ash sat leaned against a large rock, Pikachu sitting by his knee, while Butterfree faced them both from the edge of the hollow.

_... Want to..._ what was the phrase people used...

_Join the mating flock,_ Pikachu finished for his trainer, kicking Ash's shin with one of his tiny feet.

_ Well... _Butterfree began, shifting uncomfortably.

_It's okay with me, _Ash said nervously. _I mean, there's not much more I can help you with now that you've learned Psybeam, and Silver Wind doesn't need training. And I don't know when we'll be in this area again. Plus you'd make a great father. _

He really didn't want Butterfree to leave him. Butterfree was the first pokémon he had caught. He had helped the bug type reach his final evolution, helping a nervous and scared caterpie to accept the risks of evolution. Butterfree had stood with him against Team Rocket when they first tried to capture him.

But Ash owed it to his pokémon to both offer him the choice and to try and steer Butterfree on what would be the best path for the pokémon. And quite honestly going with the mating flock was the best choice in Ash's eyes. Butterfree was a trained pokémon, he'd be stronger than his predators now, and he'd be safer then if he stayed with Ash.

He'd also get to do that whole mating/romance thing that adults did. Ash didn't get that stuff but they seemed to enjoy themselves, so hey.

_True, I would like kids... _Butterfree began. _But... _

_If you're worried about me, don't be, _Ash said, keeping his voice cheerful. _  
><em>

_Yeah, the idiot will still have me to look after him, _Pikachu chipped in.

_It's just that... _

_What Butterfree? _Ash asked.

_It just feels like I would be abandoning you. I mean you did a lot for me and then I just up and leave? It doesn't feel right. _

_You did a lot for me as well. It was only because of you that I stood a chance at beating Brock. You saved me from Koffing back in the Viridian Forest. It was only because of you that I was able to help Melanie. _

_Don't forget that you helped us all train at one point or another, _Pikachu chipped in. _The fact that you're protesting that you haven't done enough is all the more reason you should leave. You might be catching Ash's idiocy.  
><em>

_Hey! _

_Seriously Butterfree, we'll be fine, _Pikachu continued to reassure his comrade. _But how often does a trainer with a heavily trained Butterfree just stumble across a flock forming? You'll be doing both yourself and your species a disservice if you pass this up._

Ash silently thanked Pikachu. His first pokémon knew how to frame an argument in species terms, something that Ash totally failed at.

_You really think so, _Butterfree asked worriedly. Both Ash and Pikachu nodded in response.

Butterfree took a deep breath.

_Alright. I'll go._

* * *

><p>Sabrina sat on a stone bench in the garden behind the gym. Sunlight shone on her long dark green hair as she relaxed, stretching her slim frame to its full extent. She was of average height for her nationality and gender, which meant she was rather petite by most standards. Instead of her usual gym attire she wore a white tank top and blue jeans. She smiled as her violet eyes took in the scene in front of her.<p>

Her youngest student, a psychic girl by the name of Britney, was playing ball with one of the gym abra's. Her black pigtails bounced behind her head as she chased down the sphere she failed to catch, all thoughts of using her powers forgotten during the heat of the moment in the game. Sabrina briefly considered using her own powers to retrieve the ball, but decided not to interfere.

She drew in a deep breath, drawing in the scents of the garden that her friend and fellow gym leader Erika had planted as a birthday gift. Small trees lined the small paved paths that divided up the patch of greenery. Between trees there were swathes plants that flowered at different times during the day, making it so that the dominate color was never the same in different hours. Bushes, bamboo, and other greenery filled the gaps and surrounded the koi ponds. It was a nice place to take a day off in. And it was nice to take a day out of her usual packed routine to relax.

"Sabrinaaaa!" Britney cried out. This time the ball was headed right for the gym leader's head. Sabrina concentrated for a time so small that it fit in-between one instant and the next and then the ball stopped in midair.

"You should be more careful," Sabrina commented, bring the ball to her hands. Britney ran up, skidding to a stop. For some reason she liked to wear shrine maiden robes. Sabrina had no clue where that taste had come from and she really didn't want to find out.

"Thanks big sis!" Britney replied as she took the ball from Sabrina. The gym leader affectionately tousled her student's hair.

"You should try to stop it on your own next time," the elder psychic instructed. "It'll be good practice."

"But that's not fair. No one else has to work on the days you go on a date!" Britney protested.

"I'm not going on a date today," Sabrina replied, using her years of training to control her emotions.

"Then what else do you call your plans with Atsushi," Britney innocently inquired, smirking.

"Hanging out with my boyfriend in the garden behind the gym," Sabrina replied calmly, secretly taking pleasure in Britney's expression of shock mixed with disappointment.

"Wait, you're not even going to try to deny it!" Britney shouted accusingly. "But now we can't tease you about it! And when did you two even get together in the first place?"

"Two days ago. I pounced on him in the middle of his confession. And, honestly I'm a highly powerful trained psychic. I'm more in touch with my emotions than most people can ever dream of. I realized the instant that I started liking him."

"But you two were always doing those little pre couple things. Always accidently touching each other and then you'd both turn away-"

"And who never blushed?" Sabrina asked, raising an eyebrow and smirking victoriously

"We thought you were cheating with your powers. And then there was the whole shyly looking away from each other whenever you made eye contact!"

"Which happened unusually frequently if I do recall. Almost as if I was doing it on purpose."

"But you also did that who awkwardly glad to be spending time with each other thing-"

"You know the biggest problem I have with relationships is resisting the temptation to read the other person's mind to see if they reciprocate my feelings," the gym leader of Saffron city explained to her pupil. "And because of the training we undergo with our empathetic talents we psychics tend to learn how to read people."

"Then what was all that shy stuff about," Britney whined, pulling on her pigtails in frustration.

"He was incredibly cute during all those moments," Sabrina told her student. "I wanted to see how long I could hold out before ravishing him. I also wanted to see how the whole normal relationship thing felt."

Britney's draw dropped in amazement.

"Sis, are you telling me that you had absolute control over the battlefield known as love this whole time?" She asked in wonder.

"I wouldn't put it that way. After all I had to let Atsushi have some of the fun of a normal relationship." Sabrina said.

"... I want to be just like you when I grow up."

"Now, now, little sister," Sabrina said to her youngest student with a wink. "Stick with me and I'll teach you plenty."

"Yes Lady Sabrina!" Britney saluted.

"Now run along. He'll be able to hear us in twenty seconds and I want to pretend that I wasn't tracking his presence."

"Ai ai sensei!"

Sabrina leaned back in the sun once more, and closed her eyes as she turned her head towards the sky. The heat of the sun gently caressed her as she waited for her lover to arrive.

"I would do the guess who thing, but with you it would be even more pointless then it usually is," a male voice spoke up from behind her. Sabrina turned her head, opened one eye, and smiled a crooked smile.

A man with brown hair and black eyes, who stood one head taller than Sabrina, wearing a green flannel jacket over a white tee shirt, stood behind the bench, leaning on the back. He smiled nervously at Sabrina.

"Atsushi," she replied happily, getting up. She strutted around the bench, 'accidently' stumbling once she was on the other side. Her boyfriend caught her on reflex, cradling her with his right arm.

"You okay?" He asked worriedly.

"Yes. Sorry, I've got no idea what happened," the gym leader replied as Atsushi helped her back to her feet. He unconsciously left his arm around her bare shoulders. Sabrina briefly smirked.

"You know," the male began, "I've been thinking about some things..."

"Oh," murmured the psychic in his arms.

"And I've been noticing some inconsistencies. You never trip except for around me, you never accidently touch other people, and a bunch of other little things."

Sabrina grabbed his right hand in her right and pulled his arm closer around her.

"I wouldn't like you if you weren't smart enough to notice things like that," she said smiling up at him.

"You little..." he said, the seriousness of his voice countered by the begrudging grin on his face.

"I'm sorry. You were simply so adorable I had to stop myself from eating you all up so many times..."

Atushi blushed so fiercely that Sabrina was honestly worried that his hair would catch fire. She led him around the bench and then pulled him down. She then snuggled into his unresistant form, settling her head under his chin. Sabrina heard Britney giggling off in the distance, felt both the warm sun on her skin, the comforting pressure of her boyfriend's arm around her shoulders, and the warmth of his body.

"I'm just a pillow to you aren't I?" Atsushi asked, fighting for control of his blush.

"A sexy one. A sexy full body pillow." Sabrina answered, slipping an arm around his waist. They sat in the sun, content, for several minutes before there was an interruption.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't a pair of lovebirds to ruin my day," another familiar voice spoke up. Sabrina picked her head up and grinned mischievously.

"What? Mad about the reminder that Atsushi got me before you could Captain Torch?" She asked the newcomer.

"Or mad that you got him before I could. I'm not particularly picky as to which reason," replied the man. "And don't call me captain, I haven't been a captain for years."

The newcomer was dressed in an old fashioned gray greatcoat, worn over casual clothes. Black hair topped his pleasantly stout face, out of which his blue eye twinkled. His haunter floated close by, right over his shoulder. On his hands, and on the parts of his arms, purple runes had been tattooed on, the same shade as his pokémon.

"So why are you bothering us? Agatha or the League have a message?" Sabrina asked.

"I just wanted to see if there was room for one more in there," the mystic teased.

"No no no, no, nope, we're full here," Atsushi quickly responded. "No more room here."

"Well if there isn't room there, we could always move it upstairs," Torch suggested, waggling his eyebrows.

"Not in your lifetime you worthless pervert," Sabrina responded without venom. Torch clutched his chest in mock agony.

"Arrrgh! Right through the heart!" The mage groaned, stumbling backward and falling to the ground. "The pain."

"You should be used to it," Sabrina told him dryly. "After all I'm pretty sure everyone over the age of consent in the city has shot you down at least once. Besides I think it would be a conflict of interest for the gym leader to sleep with the League watchdog."

"Why?" Torch asked innocently from the ground, propping himself up on one elbow. "It would help me keep a... _closer _eye on you after all." He leered, looking her up and down. "And a better view of the gym accountant," he continued, looking Atsushi up and down. Atsushi squeaked, and pulled Sabrina onto his lap and in front of him, as if to use her as a shield.

"Somehow I doubt your sensei would buy that excuse," Sabrina replied dryly, taking advantage of her sudden change in position to move onto her boyfriends lap. "So do you actually have business here or are you just bothering us?"

"A bit. Agatha requested a formal status report from both myself and you." The spellcaster said, getting to his feet, his tone businesslike for once. "I've drawn up the circle for whenever you're ready to send one to her."

Sabrina sighed. She knew why she had to do this. She was a powerful psychic, with a network of strong psychic pokémon, psychic trainers, and was the leader of the gym in the largest city in Kanto. If something were to happen to her, if she were to snap or slide into madness, the damage could be catastrophic. It was for that reason that Agatha of the Elite Four assigned one of her personal students, a practitioner of the mystic arts and a ghost type trainer to keep an eye on her.

Sabrina honestly didn't mind it at all. Torch was a good friend to everybody in the gym, even if he was a horrible pervert, and it was nice to have a spellcaster on hand, who also had ghost type pokémon to train against. It was just that the formal reports were tedious and time consuming.

"Don't worry," Torch told her. "She won't be expecting them for a little bit. I just thought I should inform you and try and have a bit of fun at the same time."

"Go have fun somewhere else," Sabrina said. "I'll get the report to you later this week."

"Alright. You two lovebirds enjoy your day," the magus said, nodding to them.

"We'd be able to do that a lot better if you'd just go away," Sabrina called out to him. Torch gave a rueful grin and then walked away.

Sabrina grumbled a bit, before leaning back against Atsushi. He draped his arms over her shoulders and gave her a hesitant peck on the cheek. She smiled, and cupped his chin, cradling his face, drawing him closer.

Life was good.

* * *

><p>"Alright! Go Butterfree!" Ash shouted from the hot air balloon. An entrepreneur had taken to renting them out whenever the Butterfree formed flocks by the cliff-sides, so that trainers could join their pokémon in the sky for one last occasion.<p>

_Let's do this! _Butterfree trilled, speeding into the flock. Sunlight glinted off of his wings as he soared, speeding and weaving through the mass of his species. He turned upwards, flying high above the mass, and gazed at all the butterfree he could see.

Just how did one go about getting a mate anyway? He'd have to go with his instincts.

One. Find female with great personality whom you find attractive as well. Two. Mating dance. Three. Mating. Four. Eggs.

It was too bad that he hadn't mastered telepathy yet because that would really help with the personality thing. He guessed that he'd have to fly around talking to other butterfree.

"What's he up to?" Brock asked as Butterfree fluttered around the flock. "I'm don't know anything about bug type mating behaviors."

"Shouldn't you be able use your expertise on romance to figure it out?" Misty ribbed.

"Shut up you," Brock said, elbowing her in the ribs.

"I think he's talking to girls," Aaron told them. "Look, he's not doing the mating dance and he's always facing them."

"Good eye," Brock praised, leaning forward to get a better look. Ash shrugged. He'd actually been able to tell by listening in on the conversation close enough to hear, rather than observing his pokémon's actions.

"It looks like he's picked up quite a following," Misty commented. Indeed, the first pokémon that Ash had caught was attracting a lot of attention. Several butterfree were trying to show their assets to Ash's pokémon.

"You know something," Brock said to Aaron, "I'm pretty sure that you've got one of the finest specimens of a butterfree here. It's a real testament to your skills as a trainer."

"Actually he was really strong when I first got him," Ash replied bashfully, thankful that he knew the word specimen from all those science books. "For some reason he was scared to evolve. After that I just had to teach him how to use his mind powers."

"Well then it's a testament to Pikachu that you managed to catch him so early in your career," Misty said, grinning and rubbing Pikachu's head.

_See, she knows what's up, _the yellow electric type said happily.

"Yeah, he's a great pokémon," Ash said. "Don't know what I'd do without him."

_Shut up, you're making me blush, _Pikachu said, turning away, abashed.

As the hours wore on, and Butterfree continued to search, the three humans in the balloon continued to make conversation, with the occasional contribution by Pikachu that only Ash understood. Butterfree wasn't really making much progress. He just found most of them... boring for lack of a better term. It must have been his prolonged exposure to Ash's life. Most pokémon didn't have to deal with attacks by Team Rocket, wild ones didn't have to deal with gym leaders, it was unlikely they had to deal with crazy ghosts or help save a hidden village that was under assault.

And then there was the fact that many of them were wild pokémon. Their lives were, for lack of a better term, simpler. Wild pokémon had friends and herds, but they didn't have to deal with the same level of politics present in the human world. Human civilization opened up hundreds of thousands of paths and actions. Life in the wilderness didn't. Wild pokémon found food when they were hungry, met with their friends when they were lonely, fought for their lives when they were threatened, and slept when they were tired. Few applied forethought to their actions.

Butterfree sighed and glanced at the sun. It was starting to sink into the west. Well, the flock would take at least one more day to form. He'd have more time tomorrow-

Hmmm? What was this? A female buttefree was crying.

Butterfree had been around Ash long enough to catch the urge to help anyone in need. He adjusted his course, preparing to swoop down and comfort her, when a pink butterfree beat him to it.

_Ssh, don't cry, _the pink butterfree said, using one of her short forelimbs to pat the distressed pokémon's back.

_But none of the males have even looked at me, _the crying butterfree sniffed.

_That's because there's a lot of pokémon here. You'll need to do something to catch their attention, _the pink butterfree said. _Something other then the instinctual stuff. Are you wild? _

_Yeah,_ the upset butterfree said, calming down. _Why do you ask? _

_So I know which ideas will work. _

Butterfree fluttered around, staying within hearing distance of the pink butterfree. He was intrigued by this newcomer. Ash's pokémon listened to the pink pokémon. She made some suggestions involving unusual uses of moves, aerial maneuvers, and careful positioning to catch the light.

It was... actually a nice, well thought out suggestion. He should probably talk to this butterfree. He'd have to wait a bit, let her take care of the upset butterfree first.

He hovered for a while while the two talked. After a few minutes the two flying bug types split up and went their separate ways. Now he could go to her. Angling his wings, he dipped down and started flying towards the pokémon who had his attention.

She juked upward, behind a passing group of fluttering bug types. Butterfree snapped into a roll, letting his wings go limp, and curved around the group. His wings unfurled and he caught sight of the pink butterfree once more. She was diving down, cutting through a gap in the shifting expanse of pokémon below her. Butterfree couldn't see the sea at all due to the mass. It was nothing but flapping white wings and the occasional purple body below, all moving the myraid ways of a flock.

Turning over onto his back as he soared onward, Butterfree leaned back and dove downward. If he had pupils they would have been darting to and fro as he kept track of the position of the pink butterfree and the ever changing paths through the mass below.

The wind whistled past as Butterfree picked up speed, spinning to fit through a closing gap. Right as he past through he was forced to pull up to avoid slamming into a butterfree in the middle of its courtship dance. His wings flapped furiously as he corkscrewed around a couple cuddling in midair and then swooped into a larger gap.

It was noticeably dimmer within the mass, but butterfree could still see a flash of pink that signaled his target. Wings flapped and Butterfree sped forward. He zig zagged through the crowd before him, rolling in all directions so that the physical contact between him and the rest of flock was his wingtips brushing against them.

There! The pink butterfree was diving, streaking down towards the sea. Butterfree followed suit. Wind whistled in his ears and tossled his attenas as he traded altitude for speed. He became a blur to anyone watching.

The pink butterfree pulled up yards above the rolling waves. Butterfree pulled up inches above, sea spray tickling his face. He flew onward, nearing the pink butterfree, preparing to break near her-

_Can't you take a hint, _the pink butterfree called out in exesperation, turning to face Ash's pokémon. Her sudden annoucement caught Butterfree by surprise; he almost forgot to slow down. His wings were perpindicular with the sky as he did the midair equivilant of skidding to a stop.

_What? _He asked, confused.

_Can't you take a hint! _The pink butterfree continued, snappish. _When a female flies into a group, takes a circuitous route through all the obstacles, and then tries to dive away, it means she isn't interested. _

_Huh? _

_Oh surprised that anyone would reject you, _the pink butterfree angrily continued. _Just because you're some sort of alpha male, huh? Let me tell you bub, I don't care how fit you are, or how good your genes are. You'll have to find some other pink butterfree to be your trophy mate. _

_Wait, what? _Butterfree was backflapping away from the furiously advancing female.

_Oh yeah. Don't think you're the first. Ever since I evolved I've had to put up with shits like you. You're all alike, you see that I'm a shiny and then you decide that I have to be yours! Well shove it bub! Don't think you can take me by force either. I've beaten your kind off before, and I'll do it again. _

_I just wanted to- _

_Don't care. I just want you to shoo! _She began to try and headbutt him, forcing Butterfree to maneuver frantically to avoid being hit.

_Oh more showing off!_ The pink butterfree spat at him._ Why don't you go find a nice, sweet, ordinary female. It will make her really happy and it might improve your rancid personality! _

_Wait!_ Butterfree said, doing an upside down loop to buy time and distance. He cursed the fact that the psychic abilities of his species weren't strong enough to allow him to use Light Screen. He could really use a shield right about now. _I just wanted to talk. _

_Yeah right! _

_No really! I overheard what you said to that crying pokémon back there. _Butterfree said, ducking under another blow. _I was going to thank you for that! _

He cringed and covered his eyes with his wings, falling backward, waiting for the next blow to fall. But it never did.

_Oh, _the pink butterfree said in a small voice. Butterfree made sure to catchin himself in midair and begin hovering before her. _Uh... sorry about all that... It's just when you kept chasing me and showing off..._

_Showing off? _

_When you through flew the rest of the flock. I thought you were showing off. Sorry, it's just that... well, you know... I've have to deal with some pretty bad types all the time and I get a little short temepered..._

_That's okay. I'm used to short tempered people, _Butterfee said, thinking about Misty's temper and Pikachu's occasional outburst. _It's no big deal. _

If butterfree's could blush, Butterfree was sure the pink butterfree would be doing so furiously.

_Again, I'm sorry. Ummm... what's your name? _

_I'm Butterfree. What's yours? _

_Butterfree, or butterfree for short. _Sky Painter or Sky for short. Ash's butterfree thought it was a fitting name.

_Anyway, Sky Painter, I just wanted to thank you for what you did for that other butterfree. _ Butterfree said to the pink female. _It was a really nice thing you did there._

_Please call me Sky. It was the least I- wait, why do you care? _The pink butterfree's expression grew sly. _Were you planning on giving her a little dance?_

_Nah, not interested. I just felt like I should try and help. _Butterfree shrugged. _It's a habit I picked up. _

_From the fact and the way that you said 'people', just a moment ago, I can't help but wonder if you mean you picked it up from your trainer or your comrades. _

_Mostly Ash. So far every time we've run into somebeing in trouble he insists that we help out. _Butterfree shook his head. _Honestly without Pikachu, Brock, and Misty to keep him in line, I'd worry about what trouble he'd get into doing that. _

_Sounds like a nice guy. Mind if I ask why you're leaving a trainer like that? _

_He thought it would be the best option for me and unfortunetly I can see his point,_ sighed Butterfree.

_Ah. So if you weren't planning on courting Butterfree back there, _Sky began, _I take it you've found a mate. Take her to meet your trainer yet? _

_Actually I haven't found anyone. I mean there are some good looking ones here or there, but none of them really interest me, you know? _

_I've encountered situations like this before. _

_Oh, right. Any advice for me? _

_I don't know, I haven't solved my problem yet either._

_Sorry. Do you know if this thing's going to be going on for one more day or two? _

_One officially, but it always takes a couple days to get going from what I've heard from older butterfree, so it's probably more like three._

_That's a relief to hear. Sorry to hear that you had to talk to senior butterfrees. _Butterfree shivered. _They're always going on about their powders..._

_Ugh. Please don't remind me, _replied Sky.

The two butterfrees continued to make small talk for a while, fluttering around the flock as they did so. Butterfree told stories about his travels with Ash, Pikachu, Pidgeotto (including the story about she wanted to eat him when they first met), Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander. Sky told him about what she did, namely traveling.

_But you have to put up with a lot of assholes doing that, _she said to the trained pokémon. _All sort of local bullies want to mate with me simply because I'm a 'shiny' to use human slang. And then all the trainers try to catch me for the same reason._

_That's too bad. It's really great out there, _Butterfree told sky, remembering his own travels.

_I know it is. That's why I'm joining this flock, for safety in numbers._ _And maybe I'll meet a nice pokémon for once. _

Butterfree looked towards the sun. It was starting to sink under the horizon.

_Well I probably should get going, my trainer will be worried. Good luck, I hope you find what you're looking for Sky Painter. _

_Thanks. Good luck to you too Butterfree._

* * *

><p>"Gently, gently," James said, staring intently at his datapad. He had managed to gain access to part of the security system and had shut off the top portion of the laser detection system, but a disturbance would be all it needed to restart.<p>

"I know, I know," Meowth hissed back, as he lowered himself from the ceiling by his tail. The fifth appendage was just barely long enough for this operation, leaving Meowth's balance and bearing precipitous. The normal type unwound a bit more of his tail, slowing coming down from the metal ventilation shaft right above the target.

The trio was in a large, polished, grey metal room. James and Jessie stood in the doorframe, watching their pokémon comrade work. There were four fluorescent lights on the ceiling, one in each corner, causing white glares to be reflected off the metal that made up the room.

The metal was nearly completely uniform, with the only anomalies being the two rows of emitters, strings of bulbous outcroppings along the walls with a single red dot shining in their center, and the rows of receivers on the opposite walls, two rows of pure black material. The lasers themselves were invisible and James had forbid Jessie from using the old dust trick to expose them. The littlest thing could set off the alarm.

One set of emitters was positioned over the only door into the room and another set was positioned vertically on the wall about an eighth of the way in. They would catch all unauthorized persons who were trying to get close to the item in the center of the room, unless the said persons tried tunneling through the floor, which would set off a different set of alarms.

Or if the said persons hacked the security system and shut off some of the lasers.

"Just a bit further," Meowth muttered. The item was in an a metal box, about the size of a paper grocery bag, sitting on a grey block of yet more metal. The cat scratch pokémon wondered if the designers also worked for a smelter. The normal type put his paws on either side of the box.

He didn't have a good enough grip to bring it back up. Silently he extended his claws, using the extra friction to gain purchase on the target. And then he yanked upward. The strain on his tail grew immensely in that instant, but it was no worse then what the cat-scratch pokémon put it through during his more intense workouts.

Squashing a groan, Meowth pulled himself back into the ventilation shaft, box in tow. He then extended the claws on his feet, and dug one of the appendages into each side of the shaft. After a couple of cramped, tight, and rather squished seconds, Meowth managed to get the box in a position above his head and then began to make his way back up the shaft.

"I got it you two," he called out to his two humans below. "It's time for us to get out of here." He grunted as he took another step. "Good Arceus. It's tough work being the top cat."

"Got it!" James called back. He looked down, pressed some buttons on his datapad and then looked back up. "Remember the rendezvous point!"

"Right, let's get out of here," Jessie said. "Where's the nearest window."

"That we can open. We're supposed to leave no trace of a break-in, remember?" Jame reminded his female partner.

"Right, right, no crashing through a window like last time."

"But this time we've got glide-suits, so that makes up for it."

"Glide-suits make up for everything."

* * *

><p>Sabrina sat crossed legged in the middle of the large, carpeted gymnasium. She still had on her white tank top, but had traded the jeans for a pair of comfortable sports shorts. These sessions didn't always make her sweat, but it was better safe then sorry.<p>

Two alakazams, and two mr. mimes sat in the corners of the gym, all covered in a faint purple glow. Above the heads of all four pokémon numerous lead bars, each one about as large as a small car, bobbed up and down, one at a time per pokémon, in perfect synchronicity with the other three psychic monsters. Seemly at random they would change up the patter, sometimes several times over a couple seconds. But it was in no way random, rather it was at Sabrina's telepathic command.

A bit further a way from the edge the gym trainer's and their pokémon also practiced. Psybeams shone, hundreds of spoons bent themselves into unique patterns, heavy weights rose without any physical contact, beings teleported, and people and pokémon practiced communicating without words. Some trainers were psychic, others merely had a connection to their chosen pokémon type.

In the center, closest to Sabrina, sat abra's, hoothoots, a butterfree or two, a couple of slowpokes, and some young looking Mr. Mimes. Sitting among the pokémon were the novice psychics, such as Brittney. The humans had their faces scrunched up in concentration as they tried to build a small house of cards in front of them with their minds. The pokémon focused on trying to lift heavier weights as a group, struggling with a nearby giant lead bar.

|That's good|, spoke a voice in the heads of the novices. |Remember to be gentle with the force of your mind|, Sabrina lectured them. |Don't try and do it all at once. Doing it one card at a time is hard enough.|

|But-brina-bor-|, came the garbled response.

|But it will help you with the big stuff later|, Sabrina gently chided. |Would you like to try and do it by hand first?|

|N-|

|Then concentrate. And after this we're doing telepathy drills.|

|Awww|

Sabrina smirked as she continued to mentally coordinate her four heavy hitters. She might be needing them soon, there had been reports of criminal activity in the area. Plus Team Rocket had been acting bold as of late...

She could worry about such things later. Right now she had to immerse herself in a mental landscape, an expanse colored with an otherworldly palette, an alien representation of the room she was sitting in. To an outside observer there was nothing that could be recognized as part of the room, but to Sabrina it was clearer then seeing it with her own flesh and blood eyes.

She focused in on her venomoth circling above, even as she relayed commands to her pokémon in the corners. Her mind touched her pokémon's and the link was made. They couldn't communicate with words, they thought in two totally different languages, and only the pokémon could understand what the other said. But they could exchange feelings, parts and pieces of concepts, images, urges, sights, memories, and other things that didn't didn't need words. It was the closest thing to understanding what they were saying that any human could come to.

This sort of connection with her pokémon was the thing Sabrina treasured the most. The gym leader wished that all trainers could have this sort of connection with their pokémon. That was why she helped Silph Co. with their research into psychic technology, to help spread the gift of that closeness. Without her assistance, the furthest their research had gotten was some sort of telepathic amplifier that was both extremely dangerous and difficult to use. It was kept in one of their high security rooms.

But until the day that modern science granted everyone the ability to connect telepathically with their pokémon, Sabrina would have to settle for teaching psychically gifted humans how to use their talents.

Speaking of gifted humans, what was Britney... doing!

|Brittney!|, Sabrina mentally shouted. The pigtailed girl had gotten up after completing her card structure and walked away from the rest of the novices. She joined the nearby pokémon in lifting the lead bar and was standing right under it, staring intently as it hovered a yard above her head.

It was wobbling and bobbing uncontrollably as the pokémon and the human tried to keep it up. As soon as Sabrina shouted some of the pokémon lost their concentration. The giant bar would fall and crush Britney the next second.

Sabrina wouldn't be able to get a good enough grip on the bar before it hit her novice, or grab the novice either. She could blast it away, but then it would probably someone else. She couldn't project a shield over someone else in the limited amount of time left to her. And it would take too long to perform the teleportation calculations for a second party. There also wasn't time to teleport over to Britney, grab her, and teleport away.

What she did have time for...

It was incredibly dangerous, but the choice between it and her little sister getting hurt was not a choice at all.

In what appeared to be a single action Sabrina rose and and initiated a small explosion of telekinetic force behind her, launching herself like a rather fleshy spear towards the imperiled novice. Her arms wrapped around Britney just as the psychic hold on the weight broke and its descent began.

Everyone could feel the floor vibrate from the sudden impact, but that only mattered to those who somehow managed to miss the thunderous boom , causing everyone in the gym to pause what they were doing and look. All the nearby pokémon and trainers were looking at the weight in horror. A couple looked down in horrified fascination as they waited for the blood to start flowing.

"Move out of the way!" One of the senior gym trainers called out, rushing over. "Get the healers over here! I'll lift and-"

"That was the new pokémon's exercise as I recall", Sabrina's voice sounded out from up above the crowd. Eyes turned upward and took in the sight of Sabrina sitting cross legged on empty air, holding a pale and shaking Britney in her lap. The gym leader gently stroked the novice's hair and whispered calming nothings to the child.

"I think that's enough for today," the gym leader said to novices and new pokémon. "We'll be talking about safety tomorrow." She looked down at Britney in her arms. "I think it's time for bed now."

* * *

><p>They awoke shortly after dawn. Butterfree had slept outside his pokéball in preparation for the day and thus woke up when he felt the sun warming his wings. Brock made them all breakfast and after they ate, the group headed back to the cliffs. They rented their hot air balloon for a second day and then prepared to take off.<p>

"Before you go," Brock began, taking out a piece of yellow cloth, "you should probably accessorize." He knelt and tied the scarf around Butterfree's neck.

_Isn't this a bit gaudy? _Butterfree asked, twisting and examining himself.

_Nah, _Pikachu assured him from on Ash's shoulder. _You look fine. Besides it'll help the two regular humans tell you apart from the other butterfree. _

_It makes me feel cheap. _

_It_ _shows that you're valued. You can always take it off later if necessary._

_Alright,_ Butterfree gave in.

"Go win some hearts!" Misty cheered the bug type pokémon on. "Remember that love's a battlefield."

"Never surrender! Never retreat!" Brock told Butterfree.

_I'm not sure I want their advice on romance, _Butterfree said to his trainer. _If love's a battlefield, then Brock's the worst general ever. _

_And Misty has thus far demonstrated horrible taste,_ Pikachu said to Ash's confusion.

"Not listening to those jokers," Aaron said, kneeling down and putting a hand on Butterfree's shoulder, "just go out and do your best. I hope you find a pokémon out there."

_Thanks. And I will. _Butterfree reassured his trainer. _I'm off! _And with that Butterfree beat his wings and took to the sky.

He looked around the flock, aimlessly searching for something to catch his eye. Butterfree saw a pink form and perked up. Without thinking he adjusted his course and soared through the ever moving flock, homing in on a spot of pink.

_Sky! _He called out, pulling up to her. _How's it going? _

_It's going- is that clothing? _Asked the female butterfree. _Why are wearing clothing? _

_My trainer's two human friends gave it to me. It's supposed to make me look better, but I think they only did it so they can keep track of me better._

_Ahh,_ Sky Painter said in dawning comprehension. _Crafty of them._

_Found anyone yet?_ Butterfree asked.

_Nope, still looking. You? _

_Today's going to be my lucky day! _Butterfree declared. _I'll definitely find a mate today! _

_Well I can see your self confidence isn't lacking, _Sky remarked. _Remember to leave some for the rest of the males. _

_Won't be a problem.. Good luck on your end, _Butterfree wished Sky, before winging away.

* * *

><p>It was just past noon when they heard the noise. Neither Butterfree or Sky had found anyone by that time, despite the hours of effort they had put into their searches. Butterfree still hadn't found anyone interesting enough and Sky still hadn't found a male that fit her tastes. Butterfree was fluttering above the majority of the flock, trying to think of a solution. Sky hovered above the waves. Brock was taking notes on the courtship rituals, Misty was eating lunch, and Ash was secretly trying to hold conversations with the passing pokémon without success.<p>

But everyone looked up from what they were doing when they heard the fast paced rhythmic beating. The movements of the flock below, which had once been an ever moving pattern of seeming chaos, became united.

"Helicopters," Brock hissed. "Lots of them."

Ash called Aaron nodded to hide his confusion. He hadn't recognized the sound.

"There! At three o'clock" Misty called out pointing. Ash turned to look, somewhat befuddled by her words. He thought the time was still around one.

There was a line of sleek, black, military looking helicopters speeding along the coast. Each of them carried a large amount of netting that hung from their undersides, with openings at the top. Each of the copters had short, stubby wings, with a large canister and a row of rockets under each. There was some sort of red mark on the sides.

"What are they doing here?" Brock growled. "They should have picked up the flock on their radar..."

"Binoculars," Misty commanded. Brock dug in his pack for a moment and pulled out a pair, which he handed to Misty. She took them and then used them to peer at the helicopters.

"It's an R! They're Team Rocket!" Her shout carried over to the other balloons, and to the flock around them. A chorus panicked shouting from the humans and frantic trilling from the Butterfrees then ensued. The flock turned into a chaotic mess of scared pokémon and the balloons began to drift back towards land.

"Dammit, I'm no good here," Brock cursed. Rock types were useless around the ocean, especially hundreds of feet above the ocean. He hadn't bothered training for this sort of situation. "Misty you're in charge."

_Everybody, get away from the helicopters! _Pikachu shouted to the nearby Butterfree. _They're very dangerous! _

"Aaron, I need you to run ariel interference," Misty commanded. "Staryu and Starmie can't deal with fights in this altitude. I'll take the ocean and try and ambush them when they go low."

"Ariel interference?" Ash asked confused.

"Bother them in the air to stop them from doing stuff," Brock explained. "I can have Zubat help with that."

"Alright. Pick me up after the battle." Misty took out two pokéballs and released her pokémon. In a blaze of light Staryu, Goldeen, and Starmie appeared on the edge of the hot air balloon's basket. Misty grabbed onto her evolved pokémon and then the three of them jumped out of the balloon.

"Our turn," Brock said. "Go Zubat!"

_More Rockets? Let's go! _The bat like pokémon cried out upon his release.

"I'm not letting them do what they want!" Aaron declared, turning his cap backwards. "Go Pidgeotto!"

_Team Rocket's going to pay the price for intruding on Butterfree's mating rituals! _Pidgeotto angrily screeched as she burst from her ball.

"Pikachu, do you think you can hold on to Pidgeotto well enough to ride?" Ash asked.

_Of course! _Pikachu replied nodding.

"Here's the plan. Pidgeotto, use your best Gusts to mess them up. Pikachu, scramble their electronics with your electricity. Don't blow up their helicopters."

_Fine. Ready bird brain? _

_Course I am. The question is can you keep up with me? _

_Why don't_ _we_ _find out! _

Pikachu and Pidgeotto sped off in a flurry of wings, the yellow pokémon holding on the the flying type's back.

_Everyone, get over land! _Butterfree shouted to his fellows, as they panicked and raced about him, an wild portrait of wings and colliding bodies. His shout went unheard over their din.

_Get over land! _Ash's pokémon shouted at the top of his lungs. But once more his warning went unheeded. Chaos still ushered his kind towards danger.

He could not get them away from the approaching danger. So there was only one thing to do. Get the approaching danger away from them!

He dove, angling his wings for every bit of speed he could manage and rushed towards the oncoming helicopters.

Sky Painter looked up from below the flock. There were so many panicking pokémon that would be defenseless before the evil humans. Her gaze became resolute. She would do her best to protect them. She rose, her wings beating faster than her heart.

The helicopters were getting close to the flock. The line broke. Some helicopters rose, and some dropped down to near the ocean, pushing a white ripple forward on the ocean before them.

At some unseen signal, numerous zubats, around one hundred pokémon, were released nearly simultaneously. The helicopters slowed down enough for the flying types to form a screen in front of them. At the same time the canisters fell apart and odd looking turrets lowered themselves from the wings.

The turrets began to track and then they started to fire. It was not automatic fire, nor were they firing bullets. Butterfrees cried out in pain as the projectiles tore into the flock. The ones that were hit could see that the projectiles were darts of some kind. The ones that were hit also began to feel dazed and tired. Their movements became lethargic and they lost altitude.

"Sedatives," Brock growled. "They're trying capture the entire damn flock."

Pidgeotto used her eyes, the eyes of a hunting bird, to pick out what was happening. She relied the information to Pikachu even as she thought of the most obvious counter.

_Hold on tight! _She cried out to her passenger, who tightened his grip in response. The bird like pokémon turned over, dived, becoming a brown and yellow blur across the backdrop of butterfrees, leveling out in front of the helicopters.

Pidgeotto pulled her body perpendicular with the ground, wings outstretched, darts whizzing all about her. Her wings flapped, once, twice, thrice, and she unleashed her Gust attack. The column of swirling grey wind touched neither the clouds above, nor the sea below, fading away before it passed the edges of the flock. It sped forward, twisting the air as it went, sucking up some darts and deflecting others.

Darts quit flying and the zubats swarmed forward. They all opened their mouths in unison and unleashed a combined sonic attack. Their voices distorted the air, causing it to ripple like disturbed water as the waves went forward.

Wind and sound met and the wind wavered and was overcome. Pidgeotto's attack burst, and the sonic attack continued forward.

Pidgeotto had dove as soon as she had unleashed her attack and so the sonic assault passed over her and Pikachu. The zubat's attack cut through the flock, disorienting the butterfrees caught in it's wake.

_I got this! _Brock's zubat called out. He swooped down into the attack and opened his own mouth. His own sonic attack sang out, carefully constructed to counter the enemy's assault. Zubat couldn't stop it all, but he provided a safe zone to rally behind.

The turrets once more started to track and fire, computers in the helicopter automatically compensating for the disturbances in the air. Butterfrees were once more struck by the darts. Others were confused by the sonic disturbances that Zubat couldn't stop.

_Fry you flying rodents! _Pikachu shouted as tendrils of electricity sprung from his back. Zubats screamed and thrashed at the unexpected electric attack that was far stronger then what the Rocket's projections had predicted. The yellow power took many from the sky, the singed blue pokémon falling towards the ocean below. But it barely made a dent in their number.

_Looks like we've got our work cut out for us, _Pidegotto remarked, letting loose a number of smaller Gust attacks.

_Not like we haven't been trained for it, _Pikachu said before letting lose another Thundershock.

A lance of purple psychic energy dropped down from above the highest group of helicopters. It smashed through a tail rotor with a small explosion, and continued through the tiny cloud of smoke until it faded against the ocean below. The helicopter that was hit started to trail smoke and spun out of control. Several men jumped out, opening parachutes when they were far enough away from uncontrollable craft.

Butterfree didn't pay attention to the results of his handiwork as a small number of zubat detached themselves from the rest and came after him. Ash's pokémon marshalled his concentration for several precious seconds as the group closed in, and then let loose a wide area Confusion. A faint purple glow came over the Rocket pokémon as they were assaulted by waves of telekinetic and telepathic force. The attack was super effective against the poison types and they were all knocked out.

Butterfree turned his attention back to the helicopters below. His mind retracted in on itself, focusing to a point. It felt like the inside of his head was being sucked down a drain. And then the sensation stopped.

Another Psybeam lanced from in front of Butterfree's face, speeding towards another Helicopter. His attack struck true, snapping off a multitude of blades from the propellor. His attack continued onward, racing towards another Rocket aircraft. But it struck a wall of light that sprang up out of nowhere. The attack broke and dissipated.

A group of three helicopters from speeding towards the flock from on low. Side doors slid open, and platforms slid out. On each platform stood a Rocket trainer and an abra. Their intent was obvious. Use the abra to psychically grab the drugged butterfrees and stuff them in the nets. It was likely that most of the helicopters would be carrying an abra or some other psychic pokémon.

But before their plan could go into action, the ocean below erupted as Misty ordered her pokémon to use Surf. A large wave sprung up and engulfed the copters, slamming them down into the waters below. At least one exploded as it the water at high speed.

Pidgeotto and Pikachu continued their efforts, dodgin and dancing through the sky. Columns of wind roared and electricity crackled as they sent attack after attack out towards the Rockets. But the zubats were wising up. The Gusts were dispelled quicker and quicker each time and Pikachu's electricity missed again and again.

Butterfree fired off another Psybeam, chipping away at the Light Screen protecting the helicopter. The defense cracked, but Butterfree was forced to fly away as the turret on the helicopter started to track him. He looked out over the battlefield.

More and more butterfree were falling to the darts. And the Rockets were closing in, staying just out of the reach of Misty's pokémon. Helpless bug/flying types were being stuffed in the nets.

It was likely they could fail.

Butterfree could not accept that outcome.

He forced his mind into overdrive even as he pumped his wings harder then he ever had before. Once again he began to fire off Psybeams. But this time he was doing his best impression of a machine gun. Beam after beam lanced out, hitting Light Screens as he strafed by, chipping away and through the defenses to blast the machinery underneath. He danced within the group of helicopters, always moving, always firing. Turrets tried to track him, but he was too close, moving too fast, and he always got out of range before they could get an accurate lock on him.

More helicopters fell, trailing smoke and bits of burning machinery. Men jumped and fell.

Butterfree felt like his head was on fire. He could feel every major blood vessel in his head throb painfully, expanding beyond their safe limits. His wings and lungs burned with each beat and breath. But he was Ash's pokémon. He pushed through the danger and the pain, and continued to defend his kin.

Pidgeotto and Pikachu were trying to get close enough to the helicopters collecting the butterfree to disable them without hurting any of their captives. Pidgeotto wove through the sky, avoiding darts and zubats. Pikachu protected her rear, letting loose yellow tendrils of power to dissuade zubats from following.

_Shit! _Pidegotto swore. She could see that one of the turrets had a good lock on her. It would be difficult to avoid it...

And then the problem was solved. Gobs of white silk splattered over the turret, and then the windows of the chopper. A pink blur sped underneath the blinded helicopter and the netting was cut loose.

The turret gone, Pidgeotto flew in close to the aircraft.

_Get out of here! _Pikachu shouted, letting loose with a moderate Thunderbolt to the cockpit. His training allowed him to control the flow of his electricity when it the Rocket craft, directing it through some of the EMP defense and into the controls. Consoles sparked and exploded as the helicopter started to spin.

_Nice one, _someone remarked nearby, startling both Pikachu and Pidgeotto. They both turned to see a pink butterfree flying alongside them.

_I assume that was your handiwork, _Pidgeotto stated.

_Yeah. _

_Thanks for the save then. _

_Anytime. Let's get the next one. Cover me while I go in! _

_On it! _Pidegotto and Pikachu replied in unison.

Another Psybeam pierced a Light Screen, cutting off the tail of a chopper. By now the helicopter had started to spread out, moving away from Butterfree. It was an action that would make it harder for the bug type to continue his assault. Butterfree just wanted to rest. But the flock was still in danger, so he forced himself to keep aloft.

One helicopter, a sleeker model then the others, broke away from its brothers, homing in on Butterfree. Ash's pokémon fired off another series of Psybeams against the Light Screen that would no doubt be protecting it. But instead of breaking on the screen, the attacks were deflected, doing much less damage to the defenses then earlier.

A door slid open and a platform extended. On that platform stood a kadabra, glaring at Butterfree as the helicopter moved closer.

|_Fool!_| A voice cried out inside Butterfree's head. |_Playing with forces you cannot understand. For your arrogance in using psychic power in such a manner, I will crush you like the worthless worm you are!| _

Telekinetic force gathered and Butterfree rolled to the side. Purpled light sped inwards, a crushing attack that would have killed Butterfree if he hadn't dodged. Butterfree responded with another Psybeam, aimed at the Kadabra. It glanced off the light screen.

|_Did you really think you could harm me with that amount of power!| _The voice in Butterfree's head taunted. A wave of purple light sped forth from the kadabra. The attack covered to great of an area for Butterfree to dodge. Like a bird on a windshield Butterfree was caught on the attack and carried away by it. It was a full body impact, like being smashed with a giant sandbag. _  
><em>

Butterfree let himself fall to avoid the next attack, but a wave of panic rushed through him when he saw the purple light appear above him. He fired off a quick Confusion, and twisted his body into position to dive. His meager psychic attack didn't even delay the kadabra's attack, breaking into pieces that were carried on by the kadabra's attack. Butterfree was barely able to dodge to the side to avoid being smashed by his opponent.

He fired off another two Psybeams and then a third attack. The kadabra watched the beams fail against his light screen with a haughty expression. He turned his head to taunt Butterfree once more, only to be hit right in the face with a String Shot.

Sky, Pidgeotto, Pikachu continued to attack the helicopters trying to collect butterfrees. Zubat continued to counter the enemy's sonic attacks, but his voice was starting to give out.

_Damn! _Pikachu exclaimed when he looked over to where Butterfree was fighting. _Butterfree's making us look bad. _

_Wait, you know Butterfree? _Sky asked, also looking over. She could see the parachutes and smoke trails from the helicopters he had taken down. And she could see a black speck dance around in the center of the enemy formation, dodging unseen darts and seen waves of purple psychic blasts. _Oh, wow, you're right. He is doing good. But it also looks insane._

_Yeah, well,_ Pidgeotto said to the pink butterfree, _it sort of comes with being one of Ash Ketchum's pokémon. Helping people and doing crazy things are the norm. _

_Really now..._ Sky mused.

Butterfree did a barrel roll, avoid the painfully bright Psybeam that ripped through the space he used to occupy.

|_You will pay for this.| _The kadabra telepathically growled, as he sought to rip off the sticky silk on his face. _|When I catch you-|_

_|So this is how you use telepathy to actually talk! Thanks for the free lesson!| _Butterfree punctuated his response with another stream of silk.

|_You!| _

Butterfree saw the turrets tracking him, even as another hammer of psychic force grazed by him. Evidently the humans piloting the helicopter were getting impatient with the fight and were taking matters into their own hands. Butterfree fired off three String Shots in rapid succession, one for each turret and one for the cockpit. The sticky silk engulfed the nozzles of the turrets and covered the cockpit, rendering the operators blind.

|_I_ _will crush you!| _Declared the kadabra. Butterfree dove and the space above him was filled with converging waves of telekinetic force. He pulled out of his dive, wind whistling in his ears, body protesting the strain he was putting on it, only to see a large Confusion rushing straight at him. The bug type pokémon forced his abused mind to gather its concentration and counter with his own Confusion. His attack was small compared to the waves of telepathic and telekinetic force warping the air as they sought to take him from the sky. But it was enough to open a small safe zone for Butterfree to shelter in.

|_You cannot dodge this| _the kadabra told his opponent. Small globes of purple light filled the clearing in the formation where esper and flier fought. Butterfree assumed they were some sort of aerial mines and started to weave between them. He was caught off guard when he passed close by one and a Psybeam lanced forth.

The attack clipped him, sending him tumbling out of control and adding another injury to his abused body. Another beam appeared, one which he dodged on instinct, flipping and spinning in midair. The beam would have taken off his wing had it hit.

More and more beams were launched until the sky around the two pokémon and the helicopter was more purple then blue and the light of the sun began to be drowned out by the light of the attacks. Butterfree twisted his way through them, his training with Pidgeotto and Bulbasaur paying off.

|_I see you now!| _Guessing what was coming next Butterfree threw himself into a loop, making sure to line up with another helicopter in the process. An enormous Psybeam, nearly as large as Butterfree himself, sped past, giving Butterfree the impression he had been missed by a freight train. It struck the other Rocket helicopter in the middle, killing a couple occupants instantly and igniting the fuel. Before it had time to fall the helicopter exploded in a brilliant orange fireball.

Ash couldn't complain about that, after all it had been kadabra's attack that blew it up. And besides, Butterfree thought, it wasn't likely that he had seen what had happened anyway. And there was no way for him to prove that Butterfree had planned for that to happen...

Absent mindedly he shot off another String Shot to cover the psychic pokémon's face once more.

|_Again you do this! I will peel off your wings for this outrage!| _

_|Are you sure we couldn't quit fighting?| _Butterfree asked telepathically._ |I'm pretty sure you've already taken more casualties then you expected.|_

_|Thank you for speaking. It makes it so much easier to find you and kill you!| _An explosion of telekinetic force erupted next Butterfree, batting him upward.

|_You're welcome,| _the dazed pokémon replied on instinct. He shook his head and managed to regain his bearing just in time to dodge another crushing attack. As he spiralled downward he noticed two helicopter breaking away from the formation surrounding him and the movements of their turrets. That could be problematic...

Pidgeotto flew into the center of the flock of zubats, the flying type doing her best to shake off their sonic attacks. Pikachu jumped off her back and scrunched up his cheeks. Electric charge gathered as he rose.

_Is this the fate of most Rocket pokémon? To be so weak! _Pikachu cried out as he reached the peak of his leap Pikachu unleashed his gathered charge and used Electric Rain.

Thundershock after Thundershock sought the surrounding zubats, bolts flying forth like raindrops. Each tendril that hit knocked out a zubat and there were too many bolts to be avoided. For an instant in time Pikachu stood on empty air, singed and falling zuabts all around him, glowing with yellow power. And then he started to fall.

Pidgetto swooped in and Pikachu landed on her back.

_Did I get em? _Pikachu asked panting.

_Most of them. The ones that are left are retreating. _Pidgeotto flew up to take position in front of the center of the flock once more. _And now there's nobody left to stop me! _

Ash's fired off another Gust, scattering darts and disrupting the flights of helicopters. Pikachu sighed a breath of relief and rested on his comrade's back.

Butterfree's problem was solved when a series of four String Shots hit the turrets from below. With the turrets out of the equation he was able to focus on the kadabra's next attack, another burst of telekinetic energy.

_Looks like you could use a hand, _a familiar voice told him. Butterfree turned to see Sky Painter coming in on a parallel course.

_Watch out! _Butterfree shouted, but his warning was not needed. Sky was able sense and dodge the Psybeam that kadabra launched at her on her own.

_Woohe, that coulda been bad, _remarked the pink pokémon.

_If you want to help keep the other choppers off my back, _Butterfree told her, monitoring the kadabra for the next attack.

_Heh, should be easy. No way they'll be able to keep up with my flying! _Sky declared. In a single fast and graceful action she reversed changed course and corkscrewed towards the nearest helicopter. She began to engage in complicated maneuvers, flying gracefully through the hail of darts and choppers, shooting off String Shots all the while. It was a beautiful sight to Ash's pokémon. Butterfree watched with an appreciative eye before turning his attention back to the fight.

|_Is that your mate? Coming to assist you? How touching. I'll remember to rip into decorative pieces before I finish you!| _Another large wave of purple light and telekinetic force burst forth from in front of the kadabra. It rushed forward like a tsunami, building up a wall of wind in front of it. But Butterfree was ready to enter the endgame. He called upon the last of the reserves and charged the attack.

He marshalled his own power into a smaller and more concentrated wave in front of him. The two attacks met and Butterfree's attack cut through the other, Butterfree following in its wake. He went into a large loop, letting his attack splash over the kadabra's Light Screen.

|_Finally ready to die?| _The kadabra asked as Butterfree charged down. Butterfree's only response was a series of probing Psybeams, each hitting and glancing off the Light Screen at different spots. The Rocket pokémon could have told him that it was useless if he so choose; his shield had no weak spots to speak of.

Butterfree focused. Ash had barely trained him in the use of this attack, but it was mainly done on instinct anyway.

|_Let's end this.| _With a wave of his hand the kadabra summoned forth a band psychic power, glowing purple. He launched the arc forward, forcing Butterfree to pull up or be smashed to pieces. The Rocket pokémon smirked, preparing a series of attacks designed to force Butterfree into a position where he could not avoid the final attack. But before he could begin he noticed a glimmer of silver.

Arcs of powdery silver scales followed Butterfree's former trajectory, cutting through the psychic attacks and defense like they were never there. Butterfree had stealthily used Silver Wind as he dived, letting the momentum he gained from his dive drive the attack rather than launching it before him. He had hid it behind his body to stop the kadabra from finding a way to counter it.

The silver arcs pelted the kadabra, hitting all over his body. One hit him right between the eyes, knocking him senseless. It disrupted whatever method he had been using to stay on the platform and sent him tumbling into the air.

Butterfree dove down and used Tackle, smacking the dazed esper down faster. Ash's pokémon then used all his speed to overtake the falling pokémon and attach a String Shot. He began to roll, tethered foe in an up and down circle as they fell. Then he changed the direction so that he was spinning the kadabra in parallel to the ground. Ash was against killing and Butterfree was still his pokémon. For now.

The bug type slowed their descent, but kept up his whirling. When they were just high enough that a fall wouldn't be lethal, Butterfree tilted his body, spun one final time, and release the String Shot. The kadabra was hurled like a stone at the water below. He skipped, once, twice, and then skidded across the surface of the water before sinking below the waves.

Butterfree hovered over the waves, panting in exhaustion and scanning the area to see if the kadabra would be getting back up. He doubted it, and even if it did, it was in Misty's turf now. For a brief moment he he saw something yellow and brown move beneath the water, but then the wave grew wild and frothy, obscuring the depth below. It looked like there was a struggle going on and the kadabra was on the wrong end.

_Butterfree! _The bug pokémon looked up when he heard Sky Painter's shout. _They're charging! _

The original plan had been to hover at a distance and shoot the flock with darts from afar and then have a few helicopters move to collect them at first. When all the ammo was exhausted most helicopters were then expected to help with the collection. But that had been before they had run into stiff resistance. As it stood, they were likely to get no pokémon out of this encounter using their first strategy. So they decided to rush the flock. It would waste more darts to fire at pokémon from within the group, as the computer would have a harder time hitting the bodies of the butterfrees rather than their wings. But there was no time for that now. Even if their accuracy was reduced to a tenth of what it used to be, even if they put themselves in risk from the flock, it would still be a better payoff then being picked apart by a pink butterfree, a trained butterfree, a zubat, a pidgeotto, and a pikachu.

There was no way to get them all. Not unless he could get the flock to work together. But they couldn't hear him over their own din, as every butterfree panicked and looked out for themself and their mate...

He could try something other than shouting.

|_Listen up everyone!| _His telepathic message sounded in the heads of all the pokémon and Ash. |_I know a way to stop Team Rocket! But I'm going to need your help. Everyone who knows Whirlwind get to the front of the flock.| _

Butterfrees instantly leapt into action at his sudden command, many without realizing what they were doing. Ash's pokémon had unwittingly picked up a couple tricks from his trainer when it came to leading pokémon. The movements of the flock became ordered once more. One stream of buttterfrees headed for the rear and another to the front.

|_Alright, everyone. On my count we use Whirldwind and then we keep it up. Ready? Three, two, one!| _At his signal thousands of wings flapped in unison. A solid mass of wind blew, carving a white frothy furrow in the ocean below. It roared, a sound loud enough to drown out thought, thrashing like an invisible snake in the claws of a hawk. The helicopters were caught in it and were helplessly carried away, like toy boats on the ocean. They tumbled and spun wildly, some colliding, others being thrown into the ocean, and the rest were flung far away from the flock.

_Arceus's shit! _Sky exclaimed, as Butterfree pulled her down and away from the attack. The two of them dove into the water and descended as far as they could before the wind reached them. Sky saw the water above them deform and heard the roar through the water. The combined attack continued for around half a minute before letting up.

Sky Painter broke the surface of the water and started gasping for air. She looked around. There wasn't a Team Rocket helicopter in sight.

_We did it! You did it! _Sky turned to Butterfree. But he was nowhere to be seen. Sky Painter realized that he must not have come up. He had been exhausted before entering the water and must have passed out after they entered.

Before the pink butterfree could dive back down for him several more being broke the surface. A red haired human girl, a staryu, a goldeen, and a starmie carrying a limp Butterfree between its tongs.

"Good work back there you two," the human said to the two bug types. "That was some impressive flying."

Sky ignored her and swam over to Butterfree.

_You okay? _She asked the tired pokémon.

Butterfree looked up and gave their species's equivalent of a smile.

_Of course! I did my best and won. Why wouldn't I be? _

_Not what I meant, but I'll take it, _Sky replied.

"We did it! We won!" Ash exclaimed, jumping up and down, pumping his fist in the air.

"Aaron, being careful, you're rocking the basket," Brock told the boy, hanging on to the edge for dear life. Ash ignored him and jumped on his back.

"We did it! Yay!"

* * *

><p><em>So this is goodbye then, <em>Ash said, kneeling down and putting a hand on Butterfree's shoulder. The sun was setting, painting the entire sky with streaks of pink and orange. Brock and Misty were off down the path, returning the balloon and observing the flock. This left Ash and his pokémon alone with Butterfree and Sky.

_Yeah, everybody wants to go in case Team Rocket shows up again, _Butterfree replied. _Funny thing is, most of them were coming to me in groups to ask when and where we should go. _

_He's been made the unofficial leader of the flock, _Sky Painter said from beside him. _He impressed everyone by fighting off those helicopters and the kadabra, and then he managed to get everyone to work together. They don't even realize what's happening. _

_Well I knew you were strong since our days in the Viridian Forest, _Ash told the first pokémon he caught. _This doesn't - _he started to choke up - _surprise me at all. _

_Ash, what's with the long face? I know I'm leaving your team, but its not like we won't see each other again. _

_Sure, _Ash said, wiping away a tear, _we'll see each other again. Right. _He could lie to himself.

_Pikachu's right. You really can be an idiot sometimes. Let me put it this way: I'm the psychic leader of a nomadic flock of flying pokémon and you're a human that can talk to pokémon. If I ever want to find you I can just look around the region I'm in to see if there's any talk about a human who can understand pokémon._

Ash opened his mouth. Ash closed his mouth.

_You didn't think about it at all, _Butterfree accused his trainer.

_Well, no, I thought- _

_I can't believe you of all people weren't working on some sort of plan for us to keep in touch. _

_Well sorry! I've had a lot to deal with, you know with an attack by Team Rocket and one of my friends leaving me._

_In that case I guess I can cut you some slack,_ Butterfree replied. _Pikachu, Pidgeotto, Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander. It's been great travelling with you guys. _

_Right back at you. I'm glad I didn't eat you when you were a caterpie,_ Pidgeotto told her friend.

_Likewise. _

_It won't be the same without you,_ Bulbasaur told the bug type. _Thanks again for helping to save Melanie. _

_You already said that,_ Butterfree pointed out.

_Just making sure you know. _

_If you ever encounter the Squirtle Squad during your wanderings, you can tell them that Squirtle says you're an honorary member!_ Squirtle declared.

_Thanks. I'll tell them you said hi. _

_I'd like to thank you for helping me train,_ Charmander shyly informed Butterfree.

_It was fun. You're going to be a really strong pokémon someday, so perk up. _

_It's been an honor,_ Pikachu held out a forepaw and Butterfree shook it. _Don't worry about the idiot, I'll look after him. _

_See that you do. _ Butterfree looked at the setting sun. _It looks like it's time for us to go. _

_Have you picked out a mate yet?_ Ash asked curiously.

_Not yet. We've decided to continue the rituals while we travel since today was interrupted, so I still have some time. But... _His voice dropped to a whisper. _I sorta know who I want to give a dance._

Pikachu gave Sky Painter a sly look. She had tilted her head and was giving Butterfree an odd look.

_I think you might be getting one first, _Pikachu whispered back. Butterfree blushed.

_Well I wouldn't have traded our time together for anything, _Butterfree told the group. _Until next time friends! _

_Bye, bye, Butterfree! _Ash and his team called out as the bug types took off to join their brethren in the sky. They continued waving to the two until they lost them among the other pokémon.

Ash wiped a tear from his eye and smiled as he turned and walked away.

* * *

><p>The meeting took place. The sun was nearly under the horizon by now, and only a little bit of light peaked over to illuminate the assembled parties. There were two groups of three. One was a group of men, and the other consisted of a man, a woman, and a meowth.<p>

"You got the package?" One man asked. He was a large brown haired man in a white shirt and khakis.

"Of course," James replied. "We stashed it at this location, as per our instructions." He held out a piece of paper.

"It was a fun job for once. Quite challenging since we couldn't knock out the guards." Jessie said to the men. "You'll be happy to know we didn't leave a trace."

"That's good to hear," the large man told her. "We've had failures on other fronts. We were going to round up a bunch of butterfrees to act as cheap psychic muscle, but our guys got beaten back. We lost a bunch of equipment and didn't get any pokémon."

"That's too bad. Maybe we can get some psychic pokémon for you." James suggested.

"Nah, its okay. There's no time and we've got more than the minimum required."

"Alright. Then I guess we'll be off." Jessie told the other group. "You know how to contact us if you need anymore help."

"Thanks for your hard work," said the man in the white shirt.

"Anything to help Team Rocket," James said with a salute, before he, Jessie, and Meowth turned and walked away.

The large man looked down at the piece of paper.

"After we get this set up," he said to his companions, "Team Rocket will be one step closer to taking Saffron City."

* * *

><p>AN: This chapter proves that there is no start to my list of literary talents. The then than dilemma is annoying, then just sounds better in many places that a than is required. But that might just be my personal tastelessness.

Long time between chapters, but school started again. I've got more long term projects then usual, and then there's other parts of life dumping on me. But I should have it somewhat under control and I'll be able to release the next chapter after a shorter interval.

Those line things are still giving me problems, not appearing in all the places I try and put them.

Please review. Reviews give motivation to release sooner.


	21. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon.

AN: Long ago in a distant land I, ConstructiveWriter, the writing master of mediocrity unleashed an unspeakable prose. But a foolish muse, wielding an interesting premise, stepped forth to oppose me. Before the final inspiration struck I tore open a hole in my schedule and procrastinated on it, until my lack of quality was law. Now the foolish muse seeks to end the procrastination that is ConstructiveWriter!

This chapter was originally meant to be released on Halloween, for reasons that should hopefully be obvious. I'm not sure how well I did on parts, you'll have to review and tell me.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

* * *

><p>"So, we're all in agreement about the location of the gym picnic?" Sabrina said to the assembled gym members. They were sitting in one of the back rooms of the gym, a conference room with tiled ceilings, and fluorescent lights. The gym leader sat at the head of the black table, with her young student Britney off playing in a corner. No confidential information was being discussed and Sabrina wanted to keep an eye on her after the recent training accident. On her right sat Atsushi and on her left sat gray coated Captain Torch. Various other personnel sat around the table, looking at various pieces of paper.<p>

A chorus of affirmations greeted her question, and the secretary wrote something down on a piece of paper. Sabrina looked down at the papers in front of her.

"The next item on the agenda concerns the recent memo from Silph Co.," Sabrina said to the assembled staff. "There's evidence that there may have been a break in. They've requested extra security and gym assistance in retrieving any items that may have been stolen."

"Where did they find the evidence?" It was Torch who spoke up, his demeanor completely serious.

"From what they've told us they could only find that there was unauthorized access to the Research and Development department. They've managed to rule out employee involvement. It might have been a case of industrial espionage, but they have some highly sensitive equipment in there, so they're assuming a worst case scenario." Sabrina glanced around the room, making sure to meet the eyes of every trainer there. "I've worked with their R&D department before. I can say from personal experience that some of those devices should never see the light day. If it turns out something was stolen, it could be a major threat to the security of Saffron City. I'm planning to mobilize all gym combat assets to deal with this potential threat."

"How are you dealing with this in the meantime?" Captain Torch asked.

"I've deployed some of my personal team to the Silph Co. building," Sabrina informed Agatha's representative. "A mix of old and new, its good experience. I'm in constant telepathic contact with all of them."

"Do they have any clue whatsoever as to who did it?" Surprisingly it was Atsushi who spoke up. "I mean knowing who it was might help tell uswhat they stole and what they want to do with the thing."

"They don't know and we don't know," Sabrina replied. "Captain Torch, given the magnitude of this potential risk, I'm going to ask you to inform the Elite Four about the situation."

"Alright, I draw a circle right after this," the magus responded. "What's the current status over at the building."

Sabrina focused for a moment, her mind traveling along the telepathic link with her pokémon.

"Their security is on high alert and they've halted normal business operations for the day," she told the spellcaster. She furrowed her brow. "Wait, I'm sensing something..."

* * *

><p>Hikaru Buckak was a childish man despite his large size. The brown haired, almond eyed leader of the Team Rocket operation in Saffron City, the one who had commissioned the theft that Jessie and James carried out, was a man stuck in the past. Decades ago, soon after the Great War which had shattered central authority, Hikaru's father was a member of Team Rocket. He had been part of the ill-fated attempt to conquer the city, back when Team Rocket was at the peak of its power.<p>

He had died there, he and his team scythed down by the power of the newly formed League. He left behind a young son and a grieving widow. The widow drank herself to death, leaving the son to grow up as part of Team Rocket. He became part of his father's old unit. They always talked about their past endeavors with the boy's father. The wounded, the maimed, and the scarred would attempt to drown their pain. It was usually unsuccessful and they simply ended up ranting about the 'tragedy' of Saffron City and how it meant Kanto was doomed.

Hikaru grew to hate the League which killed his father and refused to take the proper measures to defend civilization against the monsters known as pokémon which surrounded it. He grew to hate the pokémon that were the center of the conflict and the tools that slew his father. He grew to hate Saffron City and all it stood for.

He was mildly psychic. His talent wasn't much good in front line combat, it was nowhere near strong nor was he skilled enough to use it effectively there. He could only use it in supporting roles. It had irked him greatly; how was he to take his revenge on Saffron City and its' gym full of psychics with such a weak talent.

And then one day, while pouring through data stolen from Silph Co., he had found his answer.

During their forays into the unknown, Silph Co. had invented a device that worked with psychic power. Reading over its specifications Hikaru had begun to laugh. It was everything he needed. The key to his revenge.

He had pitched his plan to his superiors and they had given their approval. If everything worked out, Team Rocket could use it as a starting point to regain their former strength. Within five years they could once more openly challenge the League and maybe even destroy it.

Hikaru had imagined Lance, the Champion, being forced to the headman's block, and the sound of the axe slicing through air and flesh. He imagined Oak, the former Champion, the one Hikaru always assumed killed his father, regardless of any evidence, being bound, and then screaming as the knife was dyed red and his entrails spilled to the ground.

Yes, this was the start of his chance. He could have his revenge and build a better world.

The plan required gathering a pool of pokémon with psychic powers. Agents had been out collecting abra's and noctowls and the like, shipping them to Hikaru's base of operation in the countryside outside of Saffron City. He had asked agents to harvest butterfrees from the mating flock that would be gathering at the coast. That had been an utter disaster.

But, for once, the Crazies came through. They successfully infiltrated the Silph Co. building and stole the device that he needed. Yes, even without the butterfrees the plan could move forward.

There were agents stationed all over the city. Hikaru just needed a phone call.

* * *

><p>John was an average sort of guy. He had never desired to be a pokémon trainer and had drifted through school in a half hearted daze. After graduating high school he had drifted from job to job, city to city, never settling down, and never being comfortable. He had never found anything that he really wanted to do with his life and so he had begun to merely exist.<p>

And then he had tried painting, really tried it.

He had fallen in love. John had finally figured out what he wanted to do with his life. But his desires carried a heavy price. He needed to be able to work in uninterrupted bursts, completing things in the same session in which he began them. It was impossible for him to do that and keep himself employed.

John had been saving up for some time, so he could quit his job and start painting full time. then an opportunity had fallen into his lap. His current occupation was that of a custodian at the Silph Co. building. It wasn't anything big; he wasn't allowed near any of the important stuff.

But it was useful to someone.

He had been approached at a bar he frequented, by a black haired man. The stranger had made a request, a simple thing.

If the request had been for anything major or confidential, John would have refused. But it was a simple request. The man had simply wanted John to call a certain number when and if he saw an abra somewhere in or around the building this day. He wouldn't even have to say anything.

John couldn't see the harm and he agreed to the request. He had been paid half up front.

And today was the day. While sweeping the third floor north hallway he had glanced out a window and caught sight of an abra and two kadabras. So when his break came he rushed for a phone and dialed the numbed.

After he had made the call, he idly wondered what it had been for.

* * *

><p>The call came.<p>

Hikaru put his plan into action.

He activated the device.

* * *

><p>Sabrina felt her pokémon's mental defenses shatter instantly at the unexpected assault. She marshaled her mind and the resources from the telepathic network of her pokémon to assist it. Nothing could be targeting her pokémon for anything good.<p>

But before she could take action, the invading presence seized control of the link she had with her pokémon and started to attack her.

"What!" The gym leader growled. Instantly her own defences were up, boosted far beyond anything a human could achieve by her bond with her pokémon.

And then the attack hit.

"What?" Sabrina clutched at her head. She had endured telepathic attacks from people and pokémon alike and none of them had ever felt like this presence stabbing at her mind.

"Sabrina!" Atsushi exclaimed, rushing over to her side. "What is it?"

"Sis!" Britney cried out, running over to comfort her mentor.

Sabrina growled. Indescribable colors and shapes danced within the darkness of her mind as powers fought. Ordinarily a telepathic attack could be described as a lance. A stabbing attack that sought to either slip through a weakness in her mental armour or simply pierce her defenses.

But this resembled nothing like a lance. This attack could only be described as a drill.

"It... doesn't fell... alive," Sabrina said, clutching at her head. She felt a pair of warm and gentle hands on her shoulders and a small hand on her knee. Her lover and little sister were there for her.

Bolstered by their presence, Sabrina renewed her resistance, strength pouring in from the psychic network. She pushed, setting the entirety of her power against the attack. Inside her mind the colors and shapes went berserk, wildly oscillating and shifting. They danced a strange and savage dance, like chaos before Arceus.

She pushed the attack back in a furious counter attack, growling from the effort, until she had nearly cast it out of the link.

And then her momentum began to slow. She did the mental equivalent of thrashing and clawing, trying to keep the push going, but it was useless. Her efforts failed and the two forces entered a stalemate.

"It's like... a machine..." Sabrina groaned.

Yes, it really was like a drill. Relentless, it would chip away at her defenses continuously. Even now...

Her gains were lost as the intruding force forced its way back down the link. It pushed her back to within her mind, where she was strongest.

And then it began to break through.

Her eyes snapped open. Atsuhi and Britney were right in front of her, comforting her with their touch.

It was sight that filled her with absolute terror.

"Get them out of here!" Her tone was professional, but it failed to conceal the fear.

"Sabrina, what's wrong? Let me go!" Atsushi struggled against the trainers trying to drag him out of the room. Britney started to cry when another trainer scooped her up and ran her out of the room.

Captain Torch crouched down by her. He whipped out a knife and a pokéball. With a blaze of white light a haunter appeared.

"Alright Shadow," the spellcaster said to his pokémon. "We're going to perform Mists of the Mind." He rolled down his sleeve and then stabbed his arm, right in the center of one of the tattoos. Blood began to flow and then, against common sense, it started to crawl towards the purple lines inked into Torch's skin. Crimson liquid was sucked up by the designs, complete with a slurping sound. The tattoos began to glow with a sickly purple light.

"Shadow!" At her trainer's command the ghost type pokémon flew into the glowing arm and disappeared within it. The purple light grew in intensity until it drown out the other lights of the room, forcing those standing nearby to look away. The gray coated captain's blue eyes grew hard and icy, turning into terrible sapphires in the light from his arm.

"There is no lighthouse strong enough.

The shore cannot be seen by any eyes.

All is lost within the mist," he chanted and then touched Sabrina's forehead.

Sabrina sensed the mental mist surround the walls of her mind. Hope grew within her. Mists of the Mind was an anti-psychic spell. Anyone who attempted to traverse through the mental mist would become lost, unable to reach their destination or even retreat to the safety of their own mind until the spell ended. Even someone striking through a pre-existing link would be foiled.

But the attack didn't even let up for a moment.

"Not... working...," the gym leader moaned. Captain Torch's blue eyes widened in shock at those impossible words.

"Sabrina!" The brown haired accountant struggled against the trainers attempting to force him to safety. From the looks of concentration on their faces, the trainers were attempting to use telekinesis to drag him away. Atsushi didn't even seem to notice. "Let me go to her!"

No, he had to get to safety. If this attack succeeded he would be in terrible danger.

Pain burned in her mind, spreading like fractures in ice. Within her mind cracks spread through her mental walls, letting a blood red light shine through. Sabrina let out a scream.

* * *

><p>Hikaru began to laugh. His plan was working perfectly.<p>

The device had been one step in the process of attempting to allow the non-psychic to use telepathy. It was created in the time before Sabrina had assisted Silph Co. A layman would call it a psychic amplifier, but the layman would be incorrect. It did little to amplify the amount of psychic power the user could wield.

One could say that it treated the psychic power it received like fuel. But that was not entirely correct. It did not consume the power to operate, though it required it to run.

The best way to describe it was a focuser. It took the psychic power and used it all for whatever function the user required. It was far more efficient than any organic psychic could hope to be, it never stopped, and it wasn't reliant on the willpower and focus of the user.

And so Hikaru fed it the combined psychic power of all the pokémon Team Rocket had collected for the operation. Hundreds of mildly psychic pokemon [M3] screamed out in pain as they were forced to contribute to the network they had been slaved to.

Even with the device and the pokémon, Hikaru knew it would not be easy to break through Sabrina's mental defenses. The device was a simple machine in many regards, and under ordinary circumstances it would be child's play for Sabrina to outmaneuver it. But it attackedthrough a pre-existing link, like one she had with her pokémon...

Then it would be inescapable.

* * *

><p>The walls of her mind, which had weathered countless fierce battles, began to crumble. Red hot pain burned throughout her mind and the inside of her head. And the attack continued to drill into her.<p>

She screamed in pain and her pokémon screamed with her. All throughout the city they clutched their heads and sank to their knees.

Another flare of pain. Another part of her mental armor crumpled. Another scream.

Atsushi was crying and thrashing now, just outside of the doorway. Two more trainers had joined the effort to drag him away. His wet eyes sparkled with pain and fear.

Sabrina didn't like that look in his eyes.

But she couldn't do anything about it.

Another flare. Another failure. Another scream.

A horrible din blanketed the city. Citizens clamped their hands over their ears in an attempt to block out the noise that was driving them to their knees. But it was futile. The cacophony didn't travel on vibrations in the air. Instead it leapt from mind to mind.

All those in the gym, except for the captain, were driven to their knees, screaming in pain along with their gym leader. Atsushi quieted his screams, forcing away the pain, and forced himself to stand.

His face was a theater dedicated to agony, each step was a labor, every inch was paid for in pain. But he kept going. He crossed the distance between him and Sabrina, ignoring Torch's astonished gaze, and embraced her.

"Don't worry. I know you can beat this thing. I believe in you." He whispered, gentle despite the pain.

No. No. Atsushi. Get away. It's not safe. Don't be here.

One piece left. Her mind was almost entirely bathed in the blood red light, washing away all the other colors. The only part of herself that was untouched was a little bit of shadow, where she hid and feared.

Thin veins of red light began to shine through. She opened her eyes for what might be the last time and saw the real world.

Atsushi's face broke her heart.

Her walls shattered and she could feel a foreign will intrude upon the center of her being, invading the very things that made her her.

She instinctively knew that there was only time for one more action. Once more she began calculating all the possibilities. Most actions she could take would fail in the end. The enemy would have full access to her mind and plans.

In order to succeeded she would have to trick herself.

There were two faces staring at her. One was the gaze of her lover, speaking of gentle comfort and warm love. And the other was the hard gaze of the League trainer, calculating and cold, perhaps even wondering if he should kill her now. He wouldn't have time.

The human in Sabrina knew what she so desperately wanted to do.

The gym leader, tasked with the protection of Saffron City and the League, knew what she had to do.

Numbers whirred and she raised her hand. Would she be able to complete this action before her will was taken from her?

She clenched her hand.

The invader shattered her final defense.

The everything, including the very light around Captain Torch wavered and was crushed inward. Nothing remained.

* * *

><p>For once it was not a bright and sunny day in Kanto. Instead it was a cold and clammy day, where the land was covered in mist. Ash, Misty, and Brock trudged through the forest path, sticking close together as their view became more and more obscured. Various twisted and dark shapes loomed out of the mist at them, the trees that bordered the path. The few leaves that the travelers could see were still green, fall's thus far short reign not being enough to begin the discoloration.<p>

Even though their skin remained dry, the very air seemed wet and cold in the gray covering of the fog. The air was still, with no breeze there to stir the mists. The ground at least was dry and firm. Ash probed the ground ahead of him with his walking staff, searching for potential tripping hazards.

"Well isn't this fitting," Brock commented. "How much longer until we can't see our own noses?"

"It is the season," Misty told him as she strode through her namesake. "Falls in Lavender Town are known for their foggy days."

"We should have hit Saffron City first then," Brock said, before stumbling over a tree root. "Eh. See what I mean?"

"We'll have to stay close together then," Misty said to the two boys. "And we'll have to keep our eyes on the ground to make sure we're on the path. It fits the spooky atmosphere that the town likes to cultivate. Honestly it's putting me on edge. It would also be so easy to get lost. "

"In that case we should hold hands," Brock suggested.

"Alright," Ash said. He and Misty clasped hands and continued onward. Brock groped around in the fog searching for the younger boy's hand.

"Aaron, Misty, where are you guys?" Brock asked.

"Over here," the pokéraised child responded, waving his hand around. On his head Pikachu waved his tail. Brock saw a limb in the fog and grabbed it.

_Hey! Cut that out! _Pikachu shouted when he felt something grab his tail tightly. _Let go, now! _

Yellow light shone from within the fog, electricity buzzed, and Brock screamed in pain. Upon hearing his scream Misty shrieked in surprise. There was a confused moment in time where Misty and Ash tried hide the other behind themselves to protect them, which ended with Misty using some sort of arm lock to thrust Aaron behind her, and taking a fighting stance.

"...Ouch..." Brock groaned from the ground.

_Serves you right, _Pikachu said, arms crossed, and looking up and away from Brock.

"Brock, cut it out," Misty complained, relaxing her stance. "You scared me half to death."

"...Ouch."

Behind her Aaron started to laugh. It sounded like he was attempting to make it sound deep and evil, but honestly it simply sounded like he had a sore throat.

"He didn't scare me half to death," Aaron said, still trying to sound creepy. He spun around. Upon his face was a skull mask, with a large red tongue sticking out. "He scared me all the way!"

Misty gave him a look that said plainly that she was not amused. Brock groaned and twitched on the ground. Pikachu face-palmed.

_Really Ash? _The electric type rolled his eyes. _Fine, I give it a two out of ten. _

Ash's face fell behind his mask. That was uncalled for.

"Quit screwing around kid, we've got to keep moving," Misty said, brushing past him and grabbing his hand. "We need to reach town before nightfall."

"Yeah," Brock agreed, picking himself up. "That's probably a good idea."

_Indeed. Enough screwing around everyone. _Pikachu leapt onto Ash's head. _Let's get moving. _

Ash groaned. What was everyone being such a killjoy?

* * *

><p>Atsushi ran through the suddenly grey hallways of the gym. He scrambled around a right corner that should have led to the exitway. But instead it led to an unfamiliar intersection.<p>

He could hear the footsteps behind him.

No matter how fast he ran he could hear the footsteps behind him.

Without even trying to catch his breath, the gym accountant sprinted across the intersection into an area of the gym that didn't exist.

Laughter rang out behind him. It was the corruption of the sound of a pure maiden laughing amidst the falling sakura blossoms, like the laughter of a dead child among the falling ashes of a burning city. It held a note of coldness and a wild edge that no human's laugh should ever contain.

Atsushi came to another intersection, grabbed a corner, and swung himself into another left turn.

Down the hallway stood a monstrous creature. It was a dull yellow color, with skin that looked hard, with brown chitinous armor around the knees, elbows, and chest. Its' hands ended in three fingers, two long thin extensions that were a mockery of human digits, and another digit that resembled a thumb in form and function. Its' ears were long and sharp, extending beyond the large bulge of the creature's upper head. The lower half of its face tapered off into a triangular chin. Two protrusions stuck out of the sides of the face of the creature, giving the appearance of a five pointed star that had the lower two limbs stretched out and then turned upside down.

Two tentacles stuck out of the side of the bottom of the chin. The prehensile limbs were occupied, extending up the nose of a hapless gym member. The man's eyes were rolled back into his head, leaving only white visible where the iris should have been. Wet squelching sounds could be heard, and blood and clear liquid flowed out of his nose.

Atsushi looked on the sight, horrified. Who was the man? Despite his better judgment he looked closer.

It was himself!

For a brief moment he could feel the creatures tentacles caressing his face. He screamed and stumbled back, blindly running down a different corridor. The footsteps sounded, closer then ever. The inhuman laughter rang out once more.

Atsushi looked behind him. The lights had gone out, leaving the hallway shrouded in darkness. The man ran faster.

He ran faster, taking wild random turns as he raced through the gray hallways. In a mockery of geometry, geography, and psychics, his wild turns led him back to the conference room where his flight had begun.

Once more against his better judgement he looked in. Inside the room was Captain Torch, all over the room, with the area between his pieces painted red with his blood. In fact there were several Captain Torch's, scattered about the room, tens of his heads on the table alone.

Without necks they all turned to face him, eyes opening in unison.

"Come on Atsushi. Take a seat. Put me in your lap!" One cried out to him, waggling his eyebrows. "I can guarantee it will be a good time."

"Join us. It won't hurt." Another stated. "Much."

The brown haired accountant clapped his hand over his mouth, fighting the nausea. His cheeks turned green and he was forced to regurgitate the contents of his stomach. He staggered upright and continued to run once more.

The lights began to shut off behind him, the darkness advancing with the ever present footsteps. The fleeing man could hear the lights flicker and he see the darkness out of the corner of his eye.

He ran faster, panting, wild fear painted on his face. The darkness accelerated.

Atsushi could feel something, just behind his neck. Lurking just in the blind spot. So close that it was almost touching him. He didn't dare turn his head to look, his instincts screamed out against any action that would let him see it.

He couldn't be caught in the dark with it!

But he couldn't run any faster.

The lights directly above him flicked and went out as he ran under them, leaving him half in shadow. His heart skipped a beat and the horrible emptiness of fear shot through him.

Tears rolled out his eyes, leaving wet hot streaks across his cheeks as he tried to stop the panic from overwhelming him. All the muscles in his back automatically tensed, in anticipation of being attacked by the _thing _behind him.

There was another intersection ahead. Atsushi threw himself around the corner...

... only to see a blank, gray, concrete wall in front of him. A dead end.

He had no choice but to keep running and to reach that dead end. His fist beat desperately on it, searching for a weakness or a secret door, _anything! _

But it was a solid wall of concrete. There was no escape through it.

He forced himself to turn around, to watch the darkness. It had paused when he had run into the dead end hallway, and from the way it advanced, it almost seemed amused.

Atsushi pressed himself back against the wall. There was nothing else he could do.

About three yards away from him, the darkness halted. The horrible laugh rang out once more and the footsteps grew more distinct.

Out of the darkness walked Sabrina. At some point she had changed into her formal gym uniform, a red affair with two rows of large yellow buttons, one near the edge of each side of her front. From the splashes of red on Sabrina's wrists, neck, and face, Atsushi could tell that it was doing a good job of hiding the major bloodstains.

"Sa-a-br...ina...," he stuttered, gasping in fright.

"Yes...," she said, smiling seductively. "You've led me on quite a pretty chase little morsel. But now it's over."

He was lifted up by pure telekinetic force, pressure without shape or texture. He struggled, but it was no use.

"I don't like my things leaving me," she said, walking up to the bound man and running her hand along his chin. It left a trail of red where it touched. Atsushi could feel the still warm and sticky substance cooling on his skin.

"You aren't going to leave me are you?" She asked, grinning manically. "You won't leave me like Father did?"

She threw back her head and laughed wildly.

"Of course not." And with that statement Atsushi's feet exploded. He screamed as blood, flesh, and bone went flying through the hallway, sticky bits of meat, covered in red, with the occasional gleam of white bone sticking out.

"It's not your fault," whimpered the gym accountant. "Sabrina, this isn't the real you. Just remember this isn't your fault. This isn't your fault. This isn't your fault."

"Of course not," Sabrina said. There was the sound of sizzling flesh and another scream as she used pyrogensis and pyrokinesis to cauterise the maimed limbs.

"It's not your fault!" Atsushi screamed, tears streaming freely from his eyes, and more liquid then blood flowing down his legs. "Remember it's not your fault."

"I already agreed to that," Sabrina stated, matter-of-factly. "It's your fault for running away."

* * *

><p>Lavender Town was a fairly pleasant and modern town. The lit buildings of the downtown area served as a backdrop for the trio walking the grey cobblestone stone path to Lavender Tower.<p>

The pokémon cemetery towered above them. Originally constructed of stone, it had been done in an almost greco-roman style, with each floor supported by short pillars. There was a dome on the top, designed to resemble the acorn pokéballs of old.

During the day humans came to pay their respects to the departed pokémon, kneeling at the gravestones that marked the resting place of their bodies. Channelers walked the paths between graves, giving comfort to the spirits of all those within, creating areas of healing with white magic. Many a trainer had died of old age in there, with a smile on their face as they knelt at a familiar gravestone for the last time. During the day it was a place of closure and peace.

During the night...

During the night, only the bravest humans dared venture into the tower. During the night it was whispered that the vengeful spirits of the dead who could or would not be comforted raged, only kept from ravaging the town by the efforts of the local ghost pokémon. The men and women who went in there during the night, were always driven out, screaming into the night. They would never speak of what had happened within.

Some pokémon, on the other hand, knew what really happened inside. One of those pokémon was Pocket Watch, and that was why Ash was walking towards the tower with an eager smile on his face. Brock and Misty weren't so confident.

"Aaron, this really isn't a good idea," Misty hissed, following nervously behind the pokéraised child. "Can't this wait until day?"

"Why wait?" Ash called Aaron asked.

"Because it's Lavender Tower. At Night." Brock was also walking behind. He was twitchy and was growing twitchier the closer they got to the building. "This really isn't a good idea. Let's just go grab a room at the pokémon center."

"Nah," Aaron replied. "It's probably best to go while most people aren't there."

"Aaron," Brock began slowly. "There's nobody there now. And there's a good reason for that."

"Good!" Ash said brightly. "Then we can have the place all to ourselves."

"That's it. We tried reason!" Misty growled. "Brock let's just grab him."

"No!" Ash ran ahead, Pikachu swaying precariously on top his trainer's head.

_What are you? Chicken? _Pikachu taunted, turning around, and sticking his tongue out at the gym brat and leader.

"Stop! You've got no idea what you're doing!" Misty called after him.

"Yes I do!" Ash called back. He reached the entryway. It was tradition to leave the doors unlocked at all times. It wasn't like thieves would dare to break in at night. Brock and Misty stood back, simply watching.

"How long till he runs out screaming?"

"I give him five minutes."

* * *

><p>It was a gaseous, amorphous, shifting purple mass, visible in the wan light of the gas lamps by the entrance. No logic could be applied to its' structure. There was no order to be found in its constant shifting and reshaping, no explanation for its' chaotic movements. It would be only mildly disturbing to an ordinary human if it wasn't for the noises.<p>

They were an echoing, deep, and eldritch sounding chant. It was constantly repeating, an assault on the ears of ordinary humans. It unsettled them on all levels, subconscious and conscious. Even without the sight, the mere sound would be enough to drive away most humans.

However Ash wasn't an ordinary human.

_SCARY NOISES! SCARY NOISES! _

_You_ _must be Ghastly! _Ash said happily, waving the hand holding his walking staff. _I've heard so much about you._

The blob quit its' shifting and reformed into a single coherent shape, a black ball surrounded by a cornea of purple mist. Two white eyes peered out of the top.

_...You can speak properly? _The ghost pokémon asked, unbelieving.

_Yeah, I'm Ash_. _Pocket Watch might have mentioned me when he stopped by. _

_Oh, you're that human child that Mismagius's old trainer's other __pokémon_ adopted! We didn't know you were already a trainer. I'm so sorry, if we had known you were coming-__

_It's okay, _Pikachu spoke up. _There's no need to waste anything special on this idiot. _

_I love you too._

_The best part is, you can't help but be sincere when you say that._

_...I hate you._

_You can't say that convincingly. _

Ghastly sniggered at the back and forth between the trainer and his pokémon.

_You know, I think we've got an opening tonight for a two person routine, _the purple pokémon told the duo. _Actually, we could use that as a perment position if you two are interested. _

_Nah, we're just here to meet Mismagius, _Ash informed Ghastly. _Do you know where she is? _

_She's either on the third floor watching the first show of the night, or in the children's room, _Ghastly told the human boy. _By the way, are there any humans coming tonight? _

_There were two that were supposed to be with me, but they didn't want to come tonight._

_I wonder why? _Pikachu and Ghastly were in perfect synchronicity, speaking in unison, and rolling their eyes in unison.

_By_ _the way_ _if a_ _Meowth stops by, please don't mention that I'm here. _

_Alright. I'll try and catch you after my shift. _The Ghastly waved them on.

Ash and Pikachu thanked the door-pokémon and headed into the interior of the tower. Behind them Ghastly resumed its' ghastly display, preparing to enjoy himself at the expense of any ordinary humans who entered.

Human and pokémon walked through another set of doors and into the first floor of the Pokémon Tower.

They had to walk the winding path through the gravestones. The first floor was currently where the oldest pokémon were interred. In a decade or so, they'd both be moving the remains, either to a countryside graveyard, or returning them to nature. Numerous ghost type pokémon were lounging about, making idle conversation and eating. Every now and then one would pop through the wall, carrying a translucent bundle or food. Those with the bundles immediately headed upward.

On the second floor there was some sort of game going on. It involved rings of ghost pokémon, spinning around in alternating directions, and throwing small Shadow Balls at each other. When one was hit, it floated up and sat at the edge of the room. Ash and Pikachu made sure to keep their heads down to avoid being hit. Some of the pokémon sitting out waved and called out to them. The human and his electric pokémon politely replied. Ash's replies raised quite a few eyebrows and a few of them realized that Ash was most likely the human that they had heard gossip about months ago.

The third floor contained an impromptu stage. On it, floated a haunter, speaking to the crowd. Evidently he was telling jokes. Ash and Pikachu listened for a moment.

He wasn't. He was telling bad puns.

The instant he finished one, the room groaned and rotten fruit started to fly. More puns followed as the haunter dodged around the vegetarian assault. More groans followed, some edging into reluctant laughter. Evidently the rotten produce had been provided as part of the act. Ash and Pikachu threw a couple while looking for Mismagius. There was no sign of her. Ash caught the attention of a passing lampent.

_How did you get past Ghastly human? _The lampent asked in confusion.

_He just let me pass, _Ash informed the ghost/fire pokémon. _Do_ _you know where the children's room is? I'm looking for Mismagius_, _and Ghastly said she might be there._

_Ah_ _you must be that human she and that hypno were gossiping about. It's on the seventh floor, to the right of the stairs when you get there. _

_Thank you very much. I hope you have a pleasant night._

_You're welcome. I hope you have a nice night as well._

And with that Ash and Pikachu were on their way. The fourth floor was mostly deserted, with a couple ghost types working on individual projects. The duo passed through the floor without incident.

The fifth floor was filled with sleeping pokémon, floating over head. Ash and Pikachu giggled at the embarrassing sleep talk they overheard.

The sixth floor was filled with quiet conversation, the pokémon keeping their voices down for the convenience of the floor below. All the pokémon were busy eating. Several pokémon offered Pikachu some morsels as they walked past. They ignored Ash.

Finally they reached the seventh floor. There was a doorway to the right, that led down an L shaped hallway, and then to another doorway.

* * *

><p>Birtney whimpered.<p>

Mark, the gym trainer who was carrying her away, had dropped her when the first wave of pain hit. He had tried to comfort her when he had heard the child crying, fighting off his own agony to relieve Britney of her's. Then he fell face first on the floor and didn't move again. Britney blinked in pain and when she opened her eyes again he had vanished.

Her pain ended at that instant.

And her terror began.

In that moment the colors leaked out of the walls of the gym, out of the doors, out of the ceiling, out of the receptionist's desk, even out of the lights. Edges that were once sharp became blurry and ill-defined. The air felt stale and still. All the humans and pokémon had disappeared. There was no trace that they had been in the building a moment ago. It was as if the gym itself had suddenly died, not just the building, but the very concept of the Saffron City gym. The blurring of the edges reduced the objects to one mass, the lack of colors took away the vitality it once had, the lack of people settled it all.

Britney whimpered and ran out the gym doors. She found no relief outside. The entirety of Saffron City had suffered the same fate as the interior of the gym. All the people and colors had vanished.

The young psychic let out a whining wail, a wordless cry for help.

There was no response.

She began to blindly run down the side walk in front of the gym, screaming in terror the whole while. She wanted to find someone, anybody. Somebody to help her in the suddenly dead world, someone to help her big sister.

And her desire was answered in the worst way possible.

The ground beneath her feet shuddered once. And then again. And again.

It was footsteps, giant footsteps, shaking the entire city with their stride. Britney stumbled and scraped her knee. She whimpered as she took a look at the reddened flesh and then looked behind her.

It was a shadow, hiding behind the nearest skyscraper. She could only make out the blurred edges peeking around the building, a shadowy grey against the lighter grey of the dead world. It was coming around the corner.

Britney was carried away on a wave of perfect terror. Her legs were wet with more than sweat. She ran and darted down an alleyway, hoping to double around the thing, whatever it was. A deep female voice boomed out, shaking the windows of the buildings.

"**Where are** **you brat?**" It was obviously the thing. There was nothing else in the world that could conceivably speak. "**Come out and I might make this quick.**"

Britney squeaked. The thing was going to get her. The thing was going to get her. The thing was going to get her. The thing was going to get her the thing was going to get her the thing was going to get her thethignwasgoingtogetherthet hingwasgoingtogether![M7]

She fell against the alley wall, curling up into a fetal position. Britney tried to stifle her whimpers. Tears and snot covered her sleeve as she tried to quit breathing, to become as small and hidden as possible. She prayed that the thing wouldn't find her.

It was a prayer that would go unanswered.

"**I can smell you,**" the thing boomed. "**Aren't you a little old to be wetting yourself? I think you deserve extra punishment for that.**"

There was a great boom and then the series of crashes that often accompany collapsing masonry. Britney choked back a sob. It had come from right next to her.

"**There you are.**" Britney felt a shadow fall over her. She needed to look, to move, to do anything, but the fear wrapped around her, crushing her like an arbok using Constrict.

She was beyond terror when she felt the touch of the thing. It gathered her into what seemed to be a hand and lifted her up. She could feel the hand open up and that she was in its' palm.

"**Look at me.**" Britney couldn't comply. Her terror was too great.

"**Open your eyes and look at me!**" There was no disobeying that command. The young psychic opened her eyes.

It was Sabrina. A giant Sabrina made of grey wavering shadow, with two hellish white lights for eyes. They blazed in the dead world, throwing the darkness of the substance of shadow Sabrina into sharp relief against the grey world.

Britney should have fainted. She should have been able to escape the terror. She should have been able to flee to unconsciousness. But something was stopping her.

* * *

><p>Hikaru laughed to himself.<p>

Taking total control of someone like Sabrina was impossible. Even having invaded her mind, her psychic powers were far too strong to manipulate her directly. And then there was her willpower and her connection to her pokémon. One did not become a gym leader because of their esoteric abilities. They were chosen as a gym leader because of their skills as a leader and because of their skill with pokémon.

Even though they were suppressing the consciousness of her pokémon with Sabrina's own power, her pokémon would instinctively resist any command that didn't come from her. But Hikaru had found a way around that problem.

He didn't try to control Sabrina directly. No, what he did was more subtle.

It was a multi-pronged approached. First they suppressed her inhibitions. That alone would not be enough to do anything. Sabrina relied more on her own moral compass then her inhibitions.

Next he kept her in pain. It was the sort of pain that was hard to consciously notice. But it riled up her subconscious. This helped to bring all her dark thoughts to the front of her mind, raising themup from the upset waters of her unconscious mind. And it made her impulsive, very impulsive. She would be lashing out at everything in her current state. Hikaru also made sure to filter the impulses that weren't conductive to his plan.

Hate. Anger. Greed. Impure emotions. the only reasons mankind survived his early years in the world.

Man had been lucky. He had been born in a part of the world like Orre, a place that lacked native pokémon. He had grown up among animals instead, learning to kill and gather among creatures that also lacked the special abilities of pokémon. Those primal emotions had served as well as they did the animals.

Women, the gathers, had invented farming and humans began to settle lands. They moved northward seeking better and better land to grow their crops and herd their livestock. They reached a land cradled between two rivers and grew prosperous. They built larger and larger settlements until cities had been born.

And then pokémon began to migrate to the very same land.

Man was good prey for large predatory pokémon. He was stronger than the little pokémon, but nowhere as strong as them. He had no special abilities to defend himself with. And he was larger than their usual prey. He was a good meal.

The herbivores were able to drive man from his own fields. Man had no ability to defend himself against electricity, against a storm of needles, against rock shattering blasts of water, or against beings made of rock themselves.

Man was confused by these new beings. Were they monsters? Were they servants of angry gods, sent to punish him? Were some of them gods themselves? All he knew was that they devoured his crops, stole his land, and ate his kin.

Hate. Anger. Greed. These were the emotions that motivated early man to teach pokémon to fear him.

Man hunted. Man killed. He made no attempt to defend his fields. He simply killed every pokémon within and their kindred in the wild. They could not take his crops if they were dead.

The larger predators, monsters made of steel, dragons that ruled the sky, giant birds of prey, and monstrous bugs, man waged war with. If one killed a human then the whole community would devote themselves to killing it. Man drowned fire, rock, and steel types. He cut the wings of flying types and he burned plant types and bug types. Entire companies would fight to the last man to destroy the nests of dragon types. Whole species of pokémon were wiped out.

It worked. Pokémon came to fear and respect this new species. Word spread throughout the world and all pokémon learned about the wrath of man. They no longer stole from his fields, no longer ate his kin.

Soon man would discover a way to seal the monsters and work alongside them and then the first pokémon trainers would be born. The two species would enter into a friendship that had lasted into the modern day.

But deep down both sides knew that there was only one reason man had lasted long enough to reach that friendship. That was why organizations such as Team Rocket existed.

Hate. Anger. Greed. What saved humanity.

And that was what Hikaru needed.

He suppressed all other emotions in Sabrina. Her only impulses came from those three emotions. And Hikaru threw in some of his own suggestions. Without her inhibitions, with her in pain without even realizing it, without any other emotions there was nothing stopping Sabrina on acting on those impulses.

Hikaru also suppressed her conscience. If he had let it be Sabrina would eventually realize what she was doing. But without it, there was nothing to tell her what she was doing was wrong. She would continue until she died or Hikaru released her.

And why would he ever do that? He was finally getting his vengeance! Even now there was a child of Saffron City in the grasp of his metaphorical hand, trapped within psychic illusions. A child who had grown up with the League. A child who had grown up on the fruits of his father's failure. Well no more. Hikaru would give her a taste of the pain he had suffered his entire life!

* * *

><p>"<strong>You kn<strong>ow I'm getting sick of your shit ," said Sabrina, shrinking back to normal. She was holding Britney up by her neck, nails painfully digging into the child's skin. Britney was too scared to even cry.

"I was happy when I first saw you. You were cute. I welcomed having you as a student." Sabrina's grip relaxed gently. "And then I had to train you. You never listened! You were always getting into trouble! Always. Getting. Dirty. Always. Getting. Into. Danger." Her grip tightened once more. Britney let out a high pitched gasp of pain.

"And now look at you. You're not even cute anymore. A stupid little girl who pissed and shit herself." Sabrina glowered at the girl in her grip. "I think I would have preferred a doll. But you know it's not too late for me to get one instead!"

Her words confused Britney until she felt a weird sensation in her hands. Her fingers, she couldn't feel her fingers anymore! She tried to twitch her fingers, but found that she couldn't. She slowly lifted them up, careful not to provoke Sabrina, and looked at them.

Her fingers were now porcelain. And her hands were becoming porcelain. Britney began to hyperventilate. Her hands were no longer her own. She could feel something hard and cold digging into her wrists. It was still spreading. She shrieked and began to thrash in Sabrina's grip.

Sabrina smirked.

Her lowers arms became porcelain, freezing her elbows, and forcing her arms straight. Her toes went cold and then numb as they too began to transform. Her legs hung loosely, Sabrina had left some joints in there so she would be able to pose her doll later.

The transformation spread to her chest. Britney couldn't breathe. She tried, she forced her lungs to expand, to draw in air. Flesh tore from porcelain and she couldn't even scream. And then even that torn flesh was turned into the cold material.

"Much better," Sabrina grinned, staring into Britney's fear filled crying eyes as the metamorphosis spread up to Britney's neck. "It's like evolution. You're turning into something better."

* * *

><p>"Yes! Oh yes! Oh god yes! It feels so good! Yes keep it up! Keep it up!"<p>

Hikaru's joy rang throughout the Team Rocket hideout.

* * *

><p>Ash could hear laughter. He noticed the sound before he opened the door on the seventh floor of Pokémon Tower.<p>

Inside spirits played. Baby ghost pokémon played ball, they rode a carousel, they played with blocks, and so many other things. But they weren't alone. Accompanying them were the ghosts of human children. Almost all of them were dressed in modern clothes, but Ash saw some dressed in medieval fashion. They played with the hatchling ghost pokémon, giggling and floating right next to them.

Ash supposed that most of the ghost children appeared to be from the present because most of those from older eras had found peace and passed on.

He looked around some more. There were some older pokémon chaperoning the event. Some of them played with the children of both species and other simply watched from the ceiling.

A haunter carrying a translucent bundle passed through the floor in the center of the room. The pokémon set the bundle down and the bundle stood up. It was the ghost of a human child. The child grabbed the haunter's hand, smiled at it, and then ran off to play with the others.

So that's what the ghost pokémon downstairs had been carrying. He did remember Pocket Watch mentioning that they brought the restless souls of human children here, but he didn't think they were so active about it.

Something tapped him on the shoulder and he turned to see a gengar hovering behind his shoulder.

_Excuse me... _It began, sounding unsure. _...Uh, is there anything I can help you with? _

_Yes, please. I was looking for Mismagius and I heard she was here. Do you think you could tell her that Ash Ketchum is here to see her?_

_I will do that. _The Gengar flew away, no doubt searching for Mismagius in the crowd.

_This pace is a good place_, Pikachu commented softly.

_I know. Maybe we can stop here again some day and stay for a while. _

_I'd like that._

Pikachu and Ash stood and watched spirits play in silence.

A purple pokémon that appeared to be wearing a ragged pointed hat floated over. There were tufts of what looked like pink fur scattered on its hat/head. Under the hat the pokémon looked a bit like a sleeveless dress, with a scarf around a thin neck. The impression was helped by its lower sides and back trailing off into things that looked like plaits. A large pink opal sat in the center of its chest, flanked by a smaller opal on each side. Its eyes were gold instead of white, with irises that looked like jewels. The expression it had on its face reminded Ash of a smiling cat.

_You must be Ash Ketchum! _Mismagius exclaimed. _Pocket Watch has told me so much about you! And who's this? _

_I'm Pikachu!_ Ash's first pokémon stated. _I'm the one who has to keep an eye on this idiot. It's full time job. _

_And_ _you must be Mismagius! _Ash said, moving to hug the pokémon. _I'm afraid Pocket Watch hasn't done me the same favor. _

_How utterly rude of him! Not talking about his most magnificent teammate! He better head south until I forget this insult! _Mismagisus, whose name meant Witch of the North Sky, pretended to fume over Pocket Watch's 'insult' as she nuzzled into the hug._ Hmmph! But I best not forget my manners. What_ _brings you up here?_

_We came to correct our unfortunate ignorance, _Ash said, stepping back and bowing. _Oh great Mismagius, would you bestow your wisdom on us unworthy pilgrims?_

_I like you boy!_

* * *

><p>"H<em>e <em>hasn't run out screaming yet." Misty was tense and nervous, watching the entrance to Pokémon Tower from behind a nearby bush.

"That's not a good sign," Brock commented, also behind the bush. "You don't think something happened to him, do you?"

They both thought for a second and turned to each other.

"Of course," they said in unison. There was almost no chance that Aaron wouldn't have gotten involved in something.

"W-w-w-w-w-w-we should go in after him," Misty stammered out. Her legs and arms trembled as she stood up. Brock followed suit, but he was able to hide his fear.

The two of them made their way to the entrance.

"Right. Just through these doors." Brock said.

"Yep. All we have to do is open them." Misty added.

...

...

"Yeah, right through these two doors. We just have to open them and then go in." Brock nodded to himself.

"Yes. That's what we need to do."

...

...

"You also thinking about running away?" Misty asked Brock.

"Of course. But we've got to save the kid first." And with that Brock opened the doors. The two of them walked in. There was no light in the entranceway. The two of them paused in the pitch darkness.

"Wasn't there light when Aaron came in?" Misty asked.

"You're right. Maybe they're automated?" Brock suggested.

The gas lamps hissed to life. Brock and Misty jumped an impressive distance.

"S-s-s-see," Brock said, clutching at his chest. "Automated."

"R-right," Misty nodded.

_SCARY NOISES! SCARY NOISES! SCARY NOISES!_

The horrible inhuman chanting began, in a tongue that no ordinary human could speak.

"W-w-w-w-what!" Misty shrieked, looking around fearfully.

"What is it saying?" Brock asked. Presumably his eyes were darting around everywhere. One could never tell.

_SCARY NOISES! SCARY NOISES! SCARY NOISES! _

It slowly coalesced in front of the gym leader and trainer. Brock and Misty could only watch in frightened awe as the horrible thing took form. The purple thing began to inch towards them, intoning its horrible chant the entire way.

_BOO!_ The thing was suddenly right next to them, having crossed the remainder of the distance in an instant. At the same it had reshaped itself so caricatures of their own faces started back at the two. It was the final straw for Brock and Misty.

"R-r-r-r-r-r-retreat!" Brock shouted, sprinting out of the tower.

"Wait for me!" Misty screamed, close on his heels.

The doors closed behind them. The lamps went out. And Ghastly fell to the ground, overcome with laughter.

* * *

><p><em>And that's why Flygirl and Poison Lance can't look a tauros in the eye! <em>Mismagius finished, chortling.

_He never told me that one, _Ash said, rolling on the ground with laughter.

_Oh wait until I get back to Viridian! _Pikachu rubbed his hands together. _He'll do anything to stop me from telling this story. _

_Ahhhh, _sighed the ghost type,_ Is he still pompous and stuffy? _

_You bet it sister, _Pikachu answered. Mismagius shook her head.

_Some things never change_, the floating pokémon said with a fond smile. _All this talk makes me miss the old days._ _Visiting new places with Lucas and my comrades. Meeting new people. Those were the days. _Mismagius seemed to reach a decision. _You know what, I think I'll come with you to Saffron City. _

_Really?_ The human was excited by the importunity to spend more time with one of Poison Lance's old teammates.

_Its been a while since I left this tower, _Lucas's old pokémon explained. _And I can sweep by the Saffron graveyards to pick up kids while I'm there. _

_You do know we won't be able to talk freely, right? I have to keep the fact that I can understand pokémon a secret._

_Of course. But I can take the opportunity to mess with your companions. That is something I simply cannot pass up._

Ash and Pikachu snickered. They couldn't pass that up either.

* * *

><p>"Go Onix!"<p>

"Come on out Starmie!"

White light blazed. The serpentine stone leviathan roared as it was let loose. Swirling about it was the purple bejeweled pokémon.

"Alright, hop on Misty," Brock told the gym trainer. "We're going to have to charge on in, find Aaron, and then exit the nearest wall. The Pewter City gym will have to cover the cost of repairs."

"Right. And then we'll call the League and have them send someone to exorcise that thing!" Misty added, pumping her fist and climbing onto the rock type behind Brock.

"On the count of three," Brock said, staring ahead intently. "One. Two. Thr-"

"Hey guys!" Aaron shouted as he walked out the door, Pikachu on one shoulder, Mismagius floating over the other. He was completely unharmed. "I'm back!"

Brock and Misty slumped over onto Onix.

"It was really great in there. You guys should have come with."

Brock looked over at Misty.

"That kid is going to be the death of me."

"You and me both bub," groaned Misty.

* * *

><p>There was one part of Sabrina that was unaffected by Hikaru's psychic manipulations. The part of her that observed.<p>

And remembered.

* * *

><p>AN: Well I'm really looking forward to writing the next chapter. I've already started in fact.<p>

Just as an FYI, I'm not sure if I've mentioned this before, but I keep track of the progress of the chapter I'm writing on my profile page. Check that if you want to see how much longer a chapter should take.


	22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: I do not own pokémon

AN: Wrote this quickly and then stuff came up with the beta's. This chapter is currently unbeta'd

* * *

><p>Butterfree hovered over the meditating pink bug type. The flock was resting on some gentle sea-side hills, covered in rolling green grass.<p>

It was one of the Kanto trademark bright and sunny days. Puffy white clouds floated serenely overhead. The sounds of the ocean were barely audible, occasionally drowned out by the rustling of the grass.

The green of the hillsides was broken by the butterfrees in the grass, spots of brilliant color like giant wildflowers. Several were fanning their wings, enjoying the sun. Others were clustered in groups around Butterfree, the formerly unofficial leader of the flock and now official leader of the flock.

_Alright, now what can you sense? _Butterfree asked his mate, the pink butterfree named Sky Painter.

_Fussiness, _Sky replied. _Someone fussing over their mate instead of making rounds like they said they would. Isn't your advanced group ready for more instruction? _

_Alright, alright, alright, I'll start their next lesson_, Butterfree said, flapping backwards in surrender. He turned around and headed over to a group of butterfrees sitting in a circle.

It had started all so innocently. Several younger pokémon had asked him to teach them how to fight like he had when the Rockets had attacked. In order to do that he had to teach them how to access their psychic abilities. And when he started doing that others had heard what he was up to and gotten interested.

They told their friends, who told their friends, who in turn told their friends. And a large portion of the flock had shown up for the first lesson. Butterfree had rubbed his antennas together as he felt a headache coming on.

For a moment he wondered if he looked like Ash after Pikachu said something.

That had been a week ago. It had slowed their journey to the Orange Islands, but most of the flock was too preoccupied by growing stronger to care. He had divided his students into several groups based on their skill levels.

Butterfree fluttered over to the advanced group. They were sitting in a circle, meditating as Butterfree had taught them. It was hard to tell if they were breathing. Butterfree stretched out his senses. He could feel the psychic energy emanating from the group, dancing from pokémon to pokémon.

It was the first time Butterfree had been able to work with other pokémon with psychic abilities. He stumbled over the technique required to create a psychic network. The flock could pool their power and focus using this technique. Butterfree was experimenting with the potentials of psychic networks during lessons. He had taught to the others so they could help each other practice.

_Alright, has everyone mastered Confusion? _Butterfree asked his students. He was greeted by a chorus of affirmations.

_Ummm..., _spoke up one. _Mine still blows up after four seconds. I still don't know what's wrong _

_We'll call that a feature for now, _said Butterfree. _We're going to have you learn Psybeam next, but first there's something I want to see. Alright, let's link up. I want to see how you've improved. _

His mind stretched out and touched the minds of his brethren. Their awarenesses met in a place that could never be found on a map. Colors non-telepaths would never see swirled around them. The others were indescribable shapes, the true forms of their minds, glowing shapes that had no psychical analogue.

|_Okay, you've gotten better at reaching out. Very nice. Alright, everyone, today we're going to work on group sensing_|, Butterfree told his students. |_Link up and expand your senses._|

Minds joined. Powers pooled. Senses mingled.

It was a starfield in a nebula from an alien universe. With their senses linked Butterfree could 'see' the minds of all the flock. He caught sight of Sky Painter's mind shining brilliantly as she practiced her meditation. Butterfree attempted to caress her with a tendril of his awareness. He couldn't reach her, the link with his students pulled him back.

That made sense. The network was focused on sensing. Just because he could sense her didn't mean he could reach her.

There were webs of light where the groups had linked up. They traced shapes unbound by Euclidean geometry. It gave Butterfree an idea.

|_We're going to bring some more pokémon in now_|, Butterfree informed his students. |_Get ready._|

Butterfree extended a piece of his own mind to the nearest group. He invited them into the network. Without coming closer within the mental landscape or growing, they somehow became bigger. It was an impossibility that could only be done within their minds.

A pattern had formed in the chaotic background, vaguely resembling a faint sketch of the geography that the flock was resting on. The lights grew brighter and Butterfree could sense flocks of flying pokémon soaring past the coast, and schools water type pokémon swimming in the salty ocean nearby, scattered blobs of light.

Butterfree could sense Sky Painter more clearly. He tried to reach out to her once more on instinct. He still couldn't reach her but he came closer. Why was that? He wasn't using the power of the network to reach for her, so adding more pokémon shouldn't do anything.

Because the group he added was closer to her. The physical location was what made the difference.

He extended an invitation to another group. They joined and everything became exponentially clearer. Butterfree could make out the clear shape of the land within the psychic world. He could make out the individual pokémon in the schools and flocks.

Once more he reached out to Sky Painter and this time he reached her. He drew her into the warm embrace of his mind and then brought her into the network. He reached out to more groups drawing them into network. Faster and faster they came until he had most of the flock together.

It was like a opaque glass had been blocking his vision before and it had suddenly shattered. All of Kanto was before him. Only the nearest parts had detail, the farther reaches were indistinct. Butterfree figured that if the flock trained more that would change.

And then there were the minds. Each one a brilliant beacon he could see them all! Pokémon and people, forests and cities, in tall grass and on roads, they were everywhere. Roads became veins of stars. The cities were citadels constructed entirely from light, with rivers of minds flowing in and out. From Cinnabar Island burning within an ocean of minds, to the gentle warm glow of Pallet Town, to the coast by Fuschia City and the Safari Zone, light was everywhere.

It was a breath taking vision. But something was wrong.

Where the greatest light should of shone, Saffron City, instead of light there was a blood red _thing_. Black lightning crackled all over it flowing from a single point out in the countryside Butterfree didn't dare venture near it.

No minds flowed out. But a few minds flowed in.

Butterfree focused on the group nearest the city. There was something there that blocked his sight of one mind. The bug type ignored it in favor of the other minds. One seemed very familiar.

Ash! Butterfree would recognize that mind anywhere! He was heading for the dangerous city.

Butterfree tried to reach out and contact his mind, but once more he couldn't. The network was for sensing, not contacting. There was nothing Butterfree could do.

His trainer would head into the dangerous city and Butterfree could only watch. It hurt so badly, that sick painful worry in his stomach, that began to disrupt his connection with the rest of the flock.

Kanto shattered and all the links were broken. Once more the bug types were on the green hills by the sea and saw by the light of the sun.

_Be safe Ash, _Butterfree whispered as the flock began to chatter about what had just happened. _Pikachu you better take care of him. _

* * *

><p>"What is with fall and dreary days?" The boy named Ash, called Aaron asked his companions. They were travelling under a gray cloud filled sky. The air felt chilly, not a cutting cold, but a leeching cold.<p>

_Change of seasons? The death of everything? _Pikachu suggested from a top his trainer's head.

_What are you complaining about, _Mismagius asked from over his shoulder. _I like days like this. _

"It's just how it is," Brock told the younger boy. "You didn't think those sunny days would last forever, did you?"

"Not really, but that would've been nice," Aaron replied. "Shouldn't there be more people on this road?"

The three of them had left Lavender Town after staying only one night. Brock and Misty hadn't wanted to spend another night in the Town after what they had seen in the Tower. Ash and Mismagius wanted to start traveling to Saffron City, so he could get his Marsh Badge and she could sweep the graveyards. It had taken them a couple days of hard travel, but nobody complained.

It wasn't like Pikachu or Mismagius had to actually walk, the lazy bastards.

When Brock and Misty had questioned Ash about his new companion, he had been selectively honest. Mismagius had taken a liking to him, but didn't want to be captured, so she was following him for a bit. He didn't mention anything about her intentions in Saffron City or his intentions in learning more about Poison Lance, and Lucas, the pokémon trainer who had inspired him.

Mismagius got along fine with Ash's other pokémon during their training sessions. She was also helpful with making sure they weren't overheard by Brock and Misty. With the use of Magical Leaf she was able to stop speech from the clearings they trained in from reaching the ears of the two ordinary humans. It was this display of skill that cemented her standing as a member of Lucas's old team, along with Poison Lance and Pocket Watch. Most pokémon who could use Magical Leaf could only use it as an attack. To be able to use it in other ways was a mark of great skill for a pokémon. Truly Mismagius lived up to the meaning of her name.

"Don't worry about it," Brock replied. "We probably just got lucky and are traveling off-season."

"That makes sense," said Aaron, rubbing his chin and nodding. He didn't know enough about humans to second guess Brock's assertion.

Misty on the other hand instantly knew it was a lie. Saffron City was the largest city in Kanto. There was always more traffic then what they had encountered. She hadn't thought about what it meant before Brock's lie.

At some unspoken signal Brock and Misty both slowed their paces, letting Aaron walk ahead of them. Misty turned to Brock.

"Alright, what do you think is really going on?" She asked the gym leader softly, so Aaron wouldn't overhear them.

"I don't know," Brock confided to the red haired trainer from Cerulean City. "But I've got my suspicions."

"Do you think it might be the worst case scenario?" Misty hissed, alarmed. Could Sabrina have snapped?

"I don't think so," Brock replied. "Agatha has agents in place to monitor her mental state. If she started showing signs of instability they'd have informed her."

"Only if it happened naturally," Misty said, "if someone or something were to force it on her..."

Brock thought about that possibility for a moment.

"Then Agatha's agents would be useless," Brock realized. "That's a very worrying possibility. But she's a strong and skilled psychic. I can't think of anyway for that to happen-"

"You've still got your clearance, right?" Misty asked.

"Most of it," Brock answered. If he were someone else his eyes would have narrowed at Misty's question.

"Good. If anyone asks, you told me this, not the other way around," Misty glanced towards Aaron, making sure he wasn't listening in. He was examining a map, making sure that they hadn't gotten lost during the brief period when Brock navigated. "Silph Co. has been working on machines that deal with psychic abilities. The Cerulean branch recently stopped a break-in progress around the time we were in town. They were targeting the R&D department where the machines were kept."

"And you think one of these might be able to 'snap' Sabrina as it were," Brock finished for her. "It's a possibility, but there are plenty of other horrible events that could have happened to Saffron City. But we should have heard about most of them by now."

"I don't think so. Sabrina's the gym leader I trust the most after my sisters," Misty told Brock. "And you, but you're a former gym leader," she added hurriedly when she saw his face fall. "The point is, I can't imagine Sabrina letting anything happen to Saffron City, unless something happened to her."

Brock thought about that for a moment.

"Just how well do you know her?" He asked the water type trainer.

"She used to babysit me during gym conferences," Misty told him. "When my sisters would go out on the town at night, she looked after me."

Brock pondered for a bit.

"I don't know," he admitted. "I'm just hoping that the road's blocked by a legendary or something."

"Or another herd of snorlaxs," Misty said shuddering. "How did the League manage to move them last time?"

"You don't want to know."

"So what do we do about Aaron?"

"For now? Nothing. We're only two hours away, we should be seeing signs of whatever's wrong soon. When we know what's happening then we decide what to do with him. Probably have him carry a message or something" Brock glanced back at the boy ahead of them. Aaron had walked a ways up the road and turned back to wait for them.

"Hurry up! Slowpokes are faster than you two!" Aaron called back to them. "I want to get my Marsh Badge while I'm not old!"

"We're coming, we're coming," Brock called back. "Although you could stand to grow old. Just think, by the time you're thirty you might have grown an inch shorty!"

Aaron began to shout about he wasn't short, turning around and continuing forward.

"If he's got so much energy you could probably stand to train him more in the mornings," Misty muttered to Brock.

"I train him until he drops," Brock replied. "He just recovers quickly. Speaking of training, you have had the psychic self-defense training, right? And your pokémon?"

"I've had the basic training, but my pokémon haven't had any training," Misty told him. "It hasn't exactly been a priority."

"Dammit. I've undergone advanced psychic defense training and so have my pokémon, but I've been hoping Onix would evolve before I got into any major engagements with psychic enemies."

"So if something has gone wrong with Sabrina there's not a lot we can do," Misty summed up.

"No, there is something we can do," Brock corrected her. "I can die valiantly, in defense of the people and pokémon of Kanto and you can get Aaron out of there and warn the League."

"... That's not a very good option," said Misty hesitantly.

"Hopefully it won't come to that," Brock crossed his arms and looked off into the distance towards Saffron City. "But... well, it's something to keep in mind."

Misty nodded. She discretely reached into her bag, withdrawing her pokéballs and knives. She hooked the balls to her belt and put the knives in their hidden sheathes. If it came down to it...

The two gym members looked back towards Aaron. There was a reason they had swore oaths to the League, Kanto, and all the people and pokémon therin.

* * *

><p>"Where is everyone?" Ash asked Brock and Misty, looking at the empty street. The three humans and two pokémon were standing on the outskirts of Saffron City. Tall towers of glass loomed over the pokéraised boy who had never seen a city this large before, who had never seen skyscrapers that scratched the bellies of the clouds, who had never seen any creation of man that large. They unnerved him.<p>

Pikachu sniffed the air.

_Their smell is still here, _the electric pokémon said. _Fresh too. _

"This is very strange," Brock commented, looking around. He grabbed Onix's pokéball and his mace.

"You don't think," Misty began, taking two pokéballs within her fingers and drawing her knife with the other hand. "Worst case scenario..."

"What's the worst case scenario," Aaron asked, taking a step forward. The moment he did so-

He let out a strangled gasp of pain and fell to his knees, clutching at his head. Pikachu let out an anguished squeak, and fell from his trainer's head.

"Aaron!" Brock and Misty rushed froward as well. The moment they reached him they felt a stabbing pain within their heads. In that instant their training took over and they established their mental defenses. One did not need psychic powers to erect walls around one's mind.

The lances of psychic power skidded off their armored minds and they knelt by Ash's side.

_Stand back! _Mismagius called out, Magical Leaves flying forth. Brock and Misty heard the warning in her tone even if they couldn't understand the words. They stepped back and let Mismaigus work.

Strange sigils appeared on the leaves which arranged themselves in a circle around the tormented trainer.

_There is no lighthouse strong enough._

_The shore cannot be seen. _

_All is lost within the mist! _Mismagius cast the spell. The leaves shone with a white light and then dissolved. Ash and Pikachu quit their pained sounds.

"Owwwww," Aaron said, standing up and rubbing his head. He staggered over to a building, leaning against the wall. Pikachu staggered over to join him.

_That was a new experience, _Pikachu muttered.

"What was that?" Aaron asked aloud.

"Psychic attack," Misty said, coming up and rubbing his arm. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Aaron replied. "Pikachu?"

_Yeah, _Pikachu answered, nodding. _How come Brock and Misty weren't affected? _

"How come you guys were fine?" Ash asked. "Did it not get you?"

"Training," Brock informed the boy, inspecting him his face, looking for signs of damage. "I'll have to show you how soon. But first we have to get out of here and contact the League."

"I... think that's going to be difficult," Ash stated, going pale as he turned around. Brock and Misty turned around puzzled at Aaron's reaction. Then their faces went pale as well.

The missing population of Saffron City stood behind them. They had made no sound. It was as if they had simply appeared behind the group. Women, men, children, adolescents, and their pokémon. There filled the street and the alleys on either side of the building. Every human and pokémon had a blank look on their face as if they were staring without seeing.

"I'm pretty sure this is the worst case scenario," Brock whispered to Misty. "If we survive remind me to petition for Silph Co. to be put under League observation."

Misty didn't reply. Her hands shook and Brock thought he saw the glimmer of tears in her eyes. Whatever led to this moment could mean nothing good for Sabrina. She shook her head, wiped the tears away, and then her eyes grew hard.

Pikachu and Mismagius placed themselves between Ash and the crowd. Aaron raised his staff. Brock hadn't trained him in how to fight with weapons yet, but with what little hand to hand training he had, Ash felt he had a better chance relying on a big stick.

White light blazed.

Whatever control held sway over the citizens of Saffron City evidently didn't fully suppress their survival instincts. The forward ranks took several stumbling steps back as the stony leviathan appeared before them with an earth shaking roar.

"Go Starmie! Staryu!" Misty threw her own pokéballs, releasing Starmie and Staryu. They floated on either side of Onix.

White light jumped out of her bag and Psyduck stood before her.

_Ugh. Mind control. _Quacked the odd duck. _This isn't going to be fun. _

"Who asked you to come out!" Misty growled, gently whacking her pokémon on the head.

_My psychic powers aren't strong enough no matter how bad you make my headache, _Psyduck said to her, misunderstanding her intentions and forgetting she couldn't understand him.

"Everybody grab on!" Brock ordered, hopping onto the back of the living rock. Misty, Ash, Pikachu, and Psyduck all scrambled on board as Mismagius, Starmie, and Staryu held the perimeter. "Alright Onix. Let's take a shortcut."

"But your shortcuts always get us lost," Ash protested from Onix's back, where he sat, holding onto Misty's waist, using the more experienced rider to stay on.

"Ah, but this one's different," Brock said to the pokéraised child. "This time it's going to be one I made. Onix through that building!"

_Hah! _Onix shouted. _That's using my- _The giant pokémon crashed through the lower windows of the third floor of the skyscraper with its horn and sped on into the building - _using my head! _

(Ash suppressed his groan at the pun. Pikachu didn't bother)

The third floor contained a typical office, computer filled cubicles everywhere. Onix didn't bother with the paths between them. Cubicle walls were bent and sent flying, desks crushed, and computer smashed by Brock's pokémon as he slithered through.

Mismagius, Staryu, and Starmie floated after them. The humans had to keep their heads low so they wouldn't break through the false ceiling.

"Left," Brock shouted. "We'll go out the windows on that side and into the next building. We'll keep this up to the city limits."

_Gotcha! _Onix replied. His body formed a right angle as he took a sharp left, Ash crying out and holding onto to Misty for dear life. A broken piece of furniture bounce off of his arm.

They burst through a real wall, through a hallway, and into another office space, plaster dust flying everywhere. Large patches of Onix's front were stained white.

Inside the next office space there was a human line between the group and the windows.

"Up," Brock commanded. Onix immediately reared upward, smashing through the ceiling, thrashing as he went to make sure there was room for his passengers. He pulled himself onto the next floor and continued forward towards the windows.

_Stay back! _Mismagius shouted as she sped over the floor after Onix, Starmie and Staryu above and to either side of her. Blue flame erupted in front of her and then shot out in an arc. The floor between the human line and the ascending Onix were covered in the fires of the Will-O-Wisp attack.

"Good job Mismagius," Ash called back. "Stay near us!"

There was another office on the fourth floor and Onix plowed through that one as well. This time there was no human shield between him and the windows.

"Duck!" Brock shouted as Onix charged. Glass shattered, hundreds of pieces flying out into the air, reflecting the muted light of the overcast day. Brock's pokémon soared among them. The shards could not cut him, so he used himself as shield to protect the humans and pokémon on his back.

The next building was an office building rather than a skyscraper, only six floors high. Onix entered via the third floor wall.

"Everyone al-" Onix crashed through another wall "-right?" Brock asked.

"I'm fine," Misty replied. She checked to make sure Aaron's hands were still holding onto her and then turned her head to make sure the hands were still attached to arms and that the arms were still attached to Aaron. They were.

"F-f-fine," stuttered Aaron. Riding an Onix through buildings was another new thing for him.

"Good. Onix up two floors."

Ash gripped Misty tighter as Onix once more reared up and smashed through a false ceiling. The serpent pulled himself up and then repeated the process.

Onix burst through the fifth floor wall, bits of masonry tumbling to the ground.

_Alright, two more buildings to go, _Pikachu observed. _And then its open countryside. Wait! Where did they come from! _

The rooftop of the next building and the buildings on either side, stretching across several streets, were psychic pokémon. Abras, kadabras, alakazams, Mr. mimes, venomoths, golducks, jynxs, slowbros, drowzees, hypnos, and even a couple of espeons. And hovering before them all was Sabrina.

"Where do you think you're going?" She asked with a smile. It was slightly slanted in such a manner that it couldn't be called a normal smile or a happy smile.

Onix cried out in pain and was sent flying back and down towards the street. He held enough control over his flight to turn himself over so that it was his body and not the squishy humans and pokémon that smashed through the corner of the building they had just left.

The descent of Brock's pokémon left a furrow in the street, surprisingly enough not destroying the fire hydrant on the corner. Ash lost his grip and fell from the rock type, rolling to a stop on the sidewalk, Pikachu jumping after him. Misty felt him slip off and dismounted in flight to protect him. She landed and rolled into a crouch in between him and Sabrina. Her pokémon flew to her side (waddled in one case).

Brock kept his grip on his pokémon and only got off when Onix had stopped.

"Are you alright?" He asked in a worried voice. Onix lifted his head up and nodded.

"Well what do we have here?" Ash pushed himself to his knees and looked up. It was the floating woman with the green hair and the double buttoned red uniform.

"Brock, what are you doing in Saffron City?" She asked the gym leader with a slightly more normal smile. "You should have sent ahead, I could have prepared a better welcome." Her smile then vanished. "But you were going to leave without saying hello. That was very **rude!"**

On some telepathic command a powerful Psybeam shot forth from one of the many psychic pokémon, enough to reduce Brock to scraps. But Onix picked himself up and met the beam head on. He pierced the head of the beam with his horn. The attack flowed around his head and broke into several smaller beams radiating in every direction that faded before they could even reach the street. Onix shook his head. There was a sooty black streak across it that was giving off wisp of smoke.

Onix turned back to look at Brock and nodded. Brock nodded back.

"That's right, you are the youngest and weakest gym leader, but you and your pokémon's skill at defense is as good as the top leaders," Sabrina said more to herself than to Brock. "Well, I guess I have to break your pokémon before I can discipline you."

Numerous bits of blue psychic energy flew at Onix as an alakazm used Psyshock. But before the attack could reach Brock's pokémon Mismagius flew in front of him.

She sent out her Magical Leaves. They danced and darted around in the air, shining in the day's wan light, catching every blast from the Psyshock attack. The leaves began to smoke and burn as they endure explosion after explosion. Some crumbled after taking a blast. The pokémon named Witch of the North Sky simply called forth more. Not one attack made it past her and to Onix.

"A ghost type," Sabrina stated, putting her face into her hand. A mad grin grew on her face and her violet eyes grew wild. "How utterly worthless!"

Another Psyshock flew forth.

"Mismagius dodge!" Brock and Misty called out together.

_Why would I- _Mismagius began. And then the attack hit her.

A psychic attack hit a ghost type pokémon and damaged it. Numerous blasts smashed into Lucas's old pokémon, pushing her down into the street and then exploding. Bits of rubble flew from Mismagiu's position.

Ash and Pikachu's jaws dropped. That was an impossibility.

_What was- _Mismagius said, picking herself up from the smoking crater with a cough.

"What was that?" Aaron shouted, astonished.

"True Miracle Eye," Misty informed him. "A move Sabrina invented and only her pokémon can use. Just as Miracle Eye allows for a psychic pokémon to damage dark type pokémon, True Miracle Eye allows for a psychic pokémon to damage any type of pokémon."

"Oh, hello Misty." Sabrina turned her attention to the red head and gave her a genuine smile. "How are you and your sisters? I heard that you had been hurt recently. You know you were one of the better children I babysat, unlike my most recent brat." She held out her hand and the severed head of a pig-tailed black haired girl appeared in her hand. The girls face was forever frozen in an expression of grief and horror, jaw gaping and eyes wide.

"You were much better then this brat," she informed Misty who gaped at the sight horrified. "Why I-"

"Who did this to you Sabrina," Misty asked. Tears began to fall from her eyes and this time she didn't try to hide or stop them. "Who's doing this to you?"

"Doing what do me?" Sabrina asked, in a truly confused tone.

"Who turned you into this. I know you, you'd never do this, this can't be you," Misty said firmly. "If there's any part of you that's free, tell me who did-"

"This is me!" Sabrina shouted. "It's me and no one else. This is me! There's no one with the skill or power to do anything to me!" She clenched her fists as her shouts turned into screams.

Every window on the street shattered. Broken glass rained down towards Ash and his friend only to be met with water as Starmie and Staryu protected them with Barrage Counter.

"Misty you've turned into just as big of a brat as the rest of them," Sabrina growled. "Is it because of Brock? Is it because of that twerp I don't recognize? Or that worthless ghost? Maybe if I kill one of them you'll start behaving again!"

A Mr. mime, an alakazam, and a kadabra launched three powerful Psybeams. The three beams met at an angle and merged together forming an attack of terrifying power. The beam was as wide as Onix and shone like a purple forest fire. It reached out for Mismagius, who was still recovering from being hit by a Psyshock.

There was no way she could dodge.

But this time it was Psyduck who put himself between an attack and another. Like Onix he took the beam head on. But unlike Onix his defense wasn't anything special. Misty's odd duck had raised no shield nor prepared a counterattack. His body wouldn't even slow the beam down as it was destroyed.

But taking an attack like that to the head, well that had to hurt. It gave Psyduck a blinding headache.

Psyduck flipped his head back, and the beam shot skyward, almost as if he had hit it up with his bill. Everyone covered their eyes against the purple light. The beam shot upwards, punching a hole through the clouds. The attack illuminated the city with its purple-pink glow. After a few seconds the attack faded.

_Let's not do that again, _Psyduck said, clutching his head and falling back on his tail.

"Psyduck you idiot!" Misty cried out, rushing to her pokémon, and kneeling beside him. "What in Arceus's name were you thinking?"

_That I could get a headache from the attack and use that to deflect the attack. What else would I be thinking? Sheesh you humans and your weird questions. _

"Well, that was unexpected," Sabrina said, summarizing everyone's reactions. "I see you've been busy training. That's good to hear. You'll have to tell me about it after I kill the others."

Once more without warning Sabrina's pokémon attacked. Her ability to communicate telepathically was a major advantage. Not that she needed anymore at the moment.

Ten, twenty, forty powerful Psybeam shot forth, cutting through buildings, sending glass, metal, and masonry flying, all of them targeting the group, bathing them in purple light. Ash ordered Pikachu to dodge and put his arms up in an x block over his face. It probably wouldn't help, but it was too wretched to simply do nothing...

Onix curled himself into a dome around Brock. He was confident in his ability to endure at least one volley. It would give Brock a chance to escape. Brock called out to his pokémon to dodge, but Onix ignored him. He would have said goodbye if Brock could have understood him.

Staryu and Starmie tried to push Misty out of the way, but there was no way they could send her far enough without hurting her, so they watched in helpless horror as the beams came on.

Misty shouted out her defiance and fear as she watched the attack close in on her friends.

Mismagius grinned ruefully. She never guessed that she'd go out this way. Maybe she'd see Lucas afterward.

They all waited as the light grew more intense, their death growing closer...

And then the light disappeared.

Ash waited a few seconds, waiting to die, before lowering his arms and taking a look at what happened.

In front of the group was a giant ball of darkness. It slowly sank into the street, cracking the already battered road before dissolving into wisps of black. Ash and his friends stared in awe. Where had it come from?

Misty's calves felt damp. She looked down. Mist covered the ground, rapidly rising. It was impossible for mist to do that. Then how could it be doing that.

"Who-" they heard Sabrina shout as the mist rose. "No! What are you doing here! You have no reason to be here! You have no authority here! This is my city you hag!"

At some unspoken command the crazed gym leader the people of Saffron City stampeded onto the street, their wills still not their own, shaking the ground with their shared footsteps. Once more Ash and his friends were surrounded by the blanked stares of Saffron City.

"See! These are my people. My toys!" Sabrina shouted out to the empty air. "They obey me! And only me!"

The fog filled the streets and wound its way up the tall buildings and skyscrapers. It rose until everyone on the street was enveloped from head to toe. As it did so the people blinked drowsily and began to fall over asleep.

"What's-" Brock asked groggily. Misty let out a confused sound as she felt to her knees, overcome with sleepiness.

"Don't worry children," spoke up a kindly old voice, like a crotchety but warm grandmother. "I'll handle it from here."

Ash looked around the mist, wondering why he wasn't falling asleep. Then he felt Pikachu hit his leg.

_Where do you get off, telling me to dodge and then just sitting there waiting to get hit! _Pikachu shouted at his trainer. _I'll yell at you more after we find out what's going on! _

_It's okay!_ Mismagius told them, having floated over to them. _I know that voice. All ghost types in Kanto know that voice! _

_Who is it?_ Ash asked.

_It's Agatha of the Elite Four! _Mismagius shouted in glee. And that was when the ghosts came.

There was some confusion among trainers and civilians throughout the allied regions about the true purpose of the Victory Roads and places like Indigo Plateau, Ever Grande City, and the island owned by the Sinnoh League. Most thought of the roads as a test for trainers heading to the conferences and training grounds for the high level trainers. That was in a sense true. But their true purpose was something much different.

The places behind the Victory Roads, places like Indigo Plateau were where the Elite Four of the region gathered together. Each Victory Road was meant to seal off the effects of having a member of the Elite Four present. Where a member of the Elite Four and their pokémon went, they didn't go alone.

Pokémon respected strength.

Short of legendaries, there were no pokémon stronger than the pokémon of the Elite Four.

There were no trainers stronger than a member of a region's Elite Four.

Wild pokémon of the type the Elite Four member specialized in followed them wherever they went. They came to beg favors from their trained pokémon, they came to breed strong children to raise in the wild, they came to observe the training the Elite pokémon undertook, and how to perform their moves.

Thus wherever the Elite Four traveled there went an army of pokémon with them. As a courtesy the pokémon of the Elite Four made sure the environment was comfortable for the wild pokémon. Lorelei's froze vast sections of tropical waters. Flint's pokémon melted mountaintops in preparation for their arrival. Aaron of the Sinnoh League's pokémon turned huge swaths of the forests into webs and hives. Agatha's evidently covered lands in fog.

This was a mere courtesy. The armies of wild pokémon amounted to about half the strength of the team of a member of an Elite Four.

There were ghastlys, haunters, and gengars. Zubats, golbats, and crobats. Misdreavus's and mismagius's. Shuppets, banettes, duskulls, and dusclopses. They swarmed the streets, crackling, howling, and laughing.

_Come on, _Mismagius urged Ash. _You should hide before she notices you're still awake. You don't want to miss this. _

Ash nodded and followed the witch pokémon, Pikachu jumping on his shoulder as he went.

_Wait for me! _Psyduck shouted, waddling after them. Misty would be fine under the protection of a member of the Elite Four.

Ash, Pikachu, Mismagius, and Psyduck ducked into an alleyway. They peered around a corner, attempting to see through the mist.

_This isn't working, _Ash said. _Let's get higher._

* * *

><p>"Where are you, you old crone!" Sabrina's eyes darted to and fro, searching for her foe. The mist billowed below and before her, opening up and revealing a human figure. It was an old woman, with fading blonde hair, coal black eyes, and a gnarled wooden cane. She was dressed in a dark purple cloak over an old fashioned apron-ed dress.<p>

"Agatha!" Sabrina growled. "What are you doing here?"

The ghost wielding member of the Elite Four sighed.

"Oh Sabrina," she said sadly, "I'm so sorry. If there's any part of you unaffected, know that I do not blame you for any of this."

"Unaffected by what?" Sabrina screamed. "Why are you and Misty saying something's happened to me?"

"Captain Torch told me everything. Whomever is using that machine on you will pay. I swear it." Agatha's expression grew hard.

"Captain Torch? I killed that pervert days ago!" Sabrina shouted, pulling at her hair until a bloody clump came out. "He-"

"Ah, Sabrina," Agatha gave a fond smiled tinged with grief. "The greatest psychic in the Allied Regions. The trainer I most respected. The one I thought would take my place among the Elite Four. I see what you did now. You surpassed yourself didn't you. You needed to trick yourself and you did it."

"Quit babbling bitch!" A wave of psychic force, so strong that it warped the light it touched into all seven colors of the rainbow rushed forward from an alakazam behind Sabrina. Winds whipped around the attack, roaring as it went forth.

A wave of darkness burst from the mist and consumed the psychic attack, traveling onward, eerily silent. All the pokémon on the rooftop behind Sabrina were forced to teleport away and Sabrina herself was forced to ascend several yards. The shadowy wave swept away the rooftop, reducing it to rubble that broke into dust, that was consumed within the hurled piece of night.

"As I was saying," Agatha continued as if nothing noteworthy had happened. "Captain Torch is alive. I suspect you either bent light to hide him from yourself or you made it so that you forgot him as you saw him."

"Why would I do that! I hated the pervert. I crushed him, but I really wanted to castrate him and then force him to eat his own balls before ripping him to pieces!" Sabrina glared at the old woman.

"Because he was your friend and you wanted him to warn me," Agatha told the violated gym leader. "But it doesn't matter now does it?"

"Yes, because I'll kill him after I kill you!" Psybeams, each as thin as a nail and extremely fast, pierced the mist, each striking Agatha in a different spot.

But 'Agatha' simply dissolved into mist.

"Witchcraft, eh?" Sabrina said. "You can't hide from-"

She was forced to teleport in mid-sentence as a wild haunter used Shadow Force and appeared behind her. The gym leader reappeared on another rooftop. The hacked network's activity increased as she began to coordinate the pokémon under her command. She had conscripted the gym pokémon into the network along with her own personnel team. But that was okay, as long as her pokémon were using True Miracle Eye, the gym pokémon could damage the ghost pokémon.

Telepathically she ordered the attack on the wild haunter, but he dropped back into the mists below as the Confusions passed through the spot he used to occupy. Elsewhere Agatha's attack began.

A ghastly appeared in front of an abra.

_Boo! _It shouted as it rammed the psychic pokémon, using Astonish to knock it off the roof and slamming it into the road three stories below.

A Mr. mime saw this happening and was instructed to blast the ghastly with a Psywave. But before he could do anything a pair of golbats flew out of the mist and hang-lined him with Wing Attack.

One of the espeons jumped from rooftop to rooftop, launching Confusion after Confusion at the ghosts. It used Quick Attack to land on a lamppost. Quickly it used Psychic to stir the air to clear away the nearby mist and looked around. There was nothing.

It tensed to leap away again when it felt something tap its shoulder. It turned around. There was a gengar who had been hiding in the shadow of the metal pole. It smiled and then used Shadow Punch, sending the espeon through a window.

A jynx attempted to hit her enemies with ice beam only to be caught by a hail of leaves that dodged her counter attacks.

A venomouth was overcome by the supersonic attacks of a crobat.

A golduck used a Zen Headbutt on a misdreavus and before she could follow up on the attack, was hit by a Nightshade from a banette.

An alakazam poured his strength into a Psybeam that was being casually blocked by a gengar using a hand held Shadow Ball. An abra attempted to catch the ghost type with a Psychic, but the gengar used his other hand, wreathed in shadows, to tear apart the psychic power.

"Grrrr," Sabrina rose above the mist covered city. "Where are you Agatha? Where are you hiding? Do I have to bombard the city to smoke you out?"

Giant blue orbs of psychic energy appeared around her, much larger than herself, as an alakazam from her personal team preparing a Psyshock that would make artillery feel ashamed.

"I'm right here," a voice called out to the mad psychic. Sabrina whirled around to see Agatha standing on the rooftop to a warehouse below her, surrounded by empty streets.

"Then die!" The ridiculously powerful Psyshock fell downward. One ball alone was enough to crush the warehouse and its explosion was enough to destroy it in a shower of burning wood and melted metal, the sound from the impact shattering half of the windows on the adjacent streets. A wave of hot air rushed outwards, melting a lamppost. There was no need for the rest of the Psyshock. But the rest still followed, utterly obliterating the spot where the warehouse had stood and the nearby buildings.

Sabrina threw back her head and laughed. Now that Agatha was-

"Impressive power, but I think you need a bit of work on your accuracy," quipped the voice of an old woman. Sabrina turned her head so fast that she hurt her neck. Not that she noticed in her current state. Agatha was floating next to her.

An alakazam teleported to the air behind the member of the Elite Four and tried to tear her heart out using Mega Punch. But when he touched the old woman she once more turned into mist.

"So you're using illusions then? You won't face me in person? Too scared?" Sabrina cackled wildly. "Then I guess I will have to bombard the city!"

More balls of psychic energy filled the sky, tens of them, hundreds of them. Their blue light shone onto the mist below only to be reflected back to the cloud filled sky.

Before they could be launched hundreds of dark fireballs sped upward. When one hit a Psychock ball it exploded into a destructive sphere of shadows which roared as it expanded. Every bit of gathered psychic energy was hit.

"Stop that," screamed the mad psychic in the sky. In response a hail of the fiery Shadow Balls greeted her. Sabrina teleported out of the way and onto the roof of a moderately sized apartment building. She put her hand on her knee and bent over, trying to catch her breath.

She saw movement out of the corner of her eye and reacted on instinct. At the speed of thought she had her pokémon raise Light Screens and Barriers around her. A wave of darkness splashed over them, breaking the outer defenses, but failing to penetrate the inner protections.

"Getting tired?" Agatha offered from beside Sabrina. "You could just take a rest and go to sleep."

Sabrina growled in response and reached out with her mind to stop the old woman's heart. But once more it was only an illusion in the mist.

* * *

><p><em>Wow. <em>

It was the only thing the being called both Ash Ketchum and Aaron Autumns could say as he watched the battle from a seventh story window.

He had a very long way to go as a pokémon trainer didn't he?

But that wasn't important right now. There was something troubling his mind. Something Agatha had said at the start of the fight...

_Mismagius, do you know what Agatha meant by 'using that machine'? _He asked his inspiration's pokémon.

_No, I have no clue, _replied the ghost pokémon. _Have psychic machines or something similar been invented recently? _

Ash thought about that for a moment.

_I don't know either,_ he said finally. _But- _

_That would explain that weird thing I felt in her mind. _It was Psyduck who had spoke. Everyone turned to him. Seeing their puzzled expressions, he gave the explanation. _When_ _I was inside her mind-_

_When were you inside her mind?_ Pikachu asked. _How did you get past her defenses?_

_When I used that Psybeam to get a headache, duh,_ Psyduck rolled his eyes.

_Can you even do that?_ Mismagius asked.

_I don't see why not_, Psyduck replied. _ I mean there isn't much time to use the raw psychic energy as a stable link, but if you create a small node in your own power and route it through-_

_That sounds incredibly difficult,_ said Pikachu. Psyduck just shrugged.

_I've been around the forest a few times, _Psyduck told the group. _But, as I said, there was something weird in her mind. It was like a link, but... I don't know how to describe to someone without psychic powers actually. But the point is it was weird. _

_So someone's using a machine to make Sabrina into a monster, _Ash sat down, holding up his chin with his fist. _I can't see someone who normally acts like this becoming a gym leader, so it had to be a sudden change._ _ So none of this is her fault? But Agatha's going to probably have to kill her to stop her..._

That fact that Agatha would kill Sabrina to keep the people of Saffron City didn't really bother Ash. Several of his friends in the wild had killed to eat. He simply did not want to kill any human or pokémon himself, or be the cause of their death.

What did bother Ash was that Sabrina would have to be killed for something that wasn't her fault.

_Do you know where the link led? _Ash asked Psyduck.

_Out of the city, _replied the odd duck. Ash sighed and looked back out the window. Then there was nothing they could do.

_Well, it makes a stop first, but it ends up out of the city, _Psyduck added. Ash snapped his attention back to Misty's pokémon.

_Makes a stop in the city... A relay! _Ash shouted, remembering what he had read about human communications technology. _Whatever they're using needs a relay station to get reach Sabrina. Psyduck, do you remember where it was? _

_Not really, but I can still sense the link, _answered the yellow water type. _It stands out 'cause it's so weird._

Ash grinned.

_Mismagius, can you move the stealth spells with us? _The pokémon trainer asked.

_Sure, but you can't be thinking of- _

_Alright everyone, let's go! _

* * *

><p>"I'm." Sabrina teleported out of the way of a shadow spear.<p>

"Getting." She raised her defenses against the mirage created by a Night Shade attack.

"Sick." She flew upwards several Air Slashes carved up the surface she had been standing on.

"Of." Her personal Mr. mime created a series of Light Screens and Barriers to stop three small Hyper Beams.

"This." The beams exploded and Sabrina abandoned the psychic protections before a large Shadow Ball devoured them.

"Shit." She ordered a Psyshock that knocked the hautner that appeared behind her into a skyscraper. A series of Psybeams knocked him out. She didn't have time to kill him.

"Then why don't you give up and go to sleep," said Agatha, floating right next to Sabrina. Sabrina growled. She didn't bother dispelling the mist illusion.

"In your dreams!" She ordered a venomouth to use Psyslash. A crescent of psychic energy cleaved a four story building in half, forcing the ghost types waiting within to scatter. Both halves fell away from each other with a resounding crash, kicking up great clouds of dust within the mist.

"Youngsters these days," sighed the old woman. "You could stand to show a bit of respect to your elders."

"I'll mark your grave," Sabrina returned. "Now tell me where you are so I can kill you!"

"Now, now, why would I do that?"

"To save me the trouble of blasting you out!"

"You tried that once before dear," Agatha reminded the gym leader. "But if you must know..."

Sabrina's eyes widened as she sensed the disturbance in the air behind her. She ducked and temporarily turned off her levitation. The shadow covered fist of a gengar swept through the area where her head had been.

"I'm not right here," the illusion of Agatha said.

Sabrina drove the gengar off by having four abra's fire a barrage of Psybeams at it.

That blow hadn't been intended to kill. Sabrina checked the network. None of her pokémon were dead. In fact, with the use of Healing Pulse, none were even knocked out at the moment.

"You're not taking this seriously, are you?" The gym leader's voice was serene as was her expression. "You're pulling your punches."

"Of course," Agatha replied. "You aren't as experienced as me. It would be shameful to fight you at full power."

"**You'll pay for that!**" Sabrina's hair rose up and began to thrash like a nest of snakes. She teleported to a spot far above the city, where the winds were fierce and drowned out almost all other sound. She hovered around the upper floors of one of the taller skyscrapers in the city. She sent an order through the network.

Her pokémon all over the city stopped what they were doing and teleported to spots around the edges of the city, forming a great ring. At another command they began to gather their psychic energy into the most powerful Psybeam each could muster, grunting in exertion as they put their whole being into the attacks.

As one they fired their attacks into the sky, over a hundred threads of pinkish-purple light soaring into the sky. The beams converged at a point just under Sabrina, gathering together in one giant sphere. It was like a purple sun, giving the day the brightness the overcast weather had stolen. Its light cut through the mist, reaching every place within the city. The gathered power began to thrum a sound that drowned out even the fierce wind.

"**Now die, Agatha, you bitter old bitch!**" Sabrina's amplified voice rang out through the city. She brought her own tremendous power to bear and slammed it into the gathered energy.

The Psybeam that was created was beyond any other that had not come from a legendary. It contained enough energy to wipe Saffron City off the map, enough power to evaporate harbors. It was wider than any building below.

The light grew in intensity, washing away all other colors. A wind blew down and out from the point of impact, hot and dry, like volcano's breath. The hot wind roared as it tore away the fog from the center of the city, kicking up dust, picking up trash cans, and rattling the street lights. And the beam itself roared a high pitched reverberating scream.

A bit of mist coalesced near Sabrina and took the form of Agatha.

"I'd dodge this if I were you," the illusion advised the gym leader.

"What are you babbling about?" Shrieked the maddened psychic. "I'm the one attacking! I'm the one kill you!"

"Look closely," the illusion said before dissolving. Sabrina glanced downward.

Standing right under the point of impact was a lone gengar, standing tall against the raging wind. He held before him a small ball of roiling, crackling, burning shadow and his furrowed face spoke of utter concentration. The world shattering Psybeam grew closer and closer and yet he did not move.

Sabrina snorted. What was there to be afraid of.

And then the gengar looked up.

He thrust the ball skyward and it flew, growing and changing as it ascended.

Shadow met purple light just feet above the pokémon's head. The mass of shadow was no longer a ball, it was a spherical vortex, spitting bits of black crackling power and dark fire. It ground into the Psybeam, stopping the ludicrous amount of energy in its tracks. It tore into the attack, growling as it did so, shattering its head and drawing it into itself to be crushed into nothingness at the center of the vortex.

Agatha's attack ascended, still growing. The growth was not because it was drawing energy from Sabrina's attack, it was simply the result of the shape the gengar had molded the power into. If anything it was losing energy fighting against the gym leader's attack. But one could not tell by looking at it.

The shadowy vortex was wider than the beam when it reached the halfway point to the source, and it was the same size as the sun would have been to observers on the ground when it reached the three quarters mark. Sabrina's eyes were as large as dinner plates as she watched the impossibility of her Psybeam being consumed. She barely had the sense to teleport out of the way when the ball reached the source of the beam and devoured it.

The ball of shadows streaked into the clouds and exploded, the shockwave shaking the city below. It was the mirror image of the Psybeam blowing away the mist below. Clouds roiled and were swept aside by the shock-wave. When that subsided there was a disc of utter black in the cloudless area, as if the night had swallowed the stars, an obsidian patch for the hole in the heavens that the battle had torn open. Saffron city was forced into night.

Sabrina watched the sky with an open mouth for a minute as she rested by the giant antenna that topped Saffron City's tallest building. There was nothing she could do but watch.

At the two minute mark the darkness began to dissipate and about twenty seconds later the evening sun shone through the hole in the clouds. The orange light of the setting sun was enough to snap Sabrina out of her daze.

She needed to kill Agatha soon.

* * *

><p><em>Good grief, learn to hold back would ya? <em>Pikachu said, referring to the recent clash of powers. _That could have been dangerous. _

The group was stumbling through the mist filled streets, following Psyduck's directions. Magical Leaves swirled around them as Mismaigus kept them cloaked. Lucas had trained her to fill a support role rather than a direct combat role.

Pocket Watch knew how to produce a psychic cloak and how to alter the minds of the enemy, but that was it as far as his support capabilities Mismagius knew how to cloak people from psychics and how to bend light to cloak a group. She knew how to alter the rules that governed an area, messing with speeds and other things. She knew the arts of thievery and how to increase the luck of a group for a short time. It was those skills that allowed the group to travel through the battle between giants.

_I know, _Ash replied. _Someone could have gotten hurt. Psyduck, how much further? _

_Another block, _Misty's pokémon informed the trainer. _It's that big dark shape over there. _

_Psyduck, _Mismagius began, _everything's a big dark shape in this fog. Be more specific. _

_I'll know it when I get there, _the yellow water pokémon shot back. _And be quiet, I already have a headache. That weird link is making it worse. _

_Do you know what floor the relay's on? _Pikachu inquired. _Can I shock it from down here or do we have to go in and up? _

_It's near the top, _Psyduck told Ash's first pokémon. _And there are some humans and pokémon up there too. They seem weird for some reason. _

_Like the other humans in the city? _Ash suggested.

_No, just the opposite in fact. I don't know how to describe it, but it's like a psychic cloak that only hides you from one person. _

_They must be guards from whomever is using the device, _Ash said, pounding the bottom of his fist into his palm. _What sort of pokémon do they have?_

_Um... a couple of raticates, some zubats, and a bunch of mixed pokémon._ Psyduck scratched his head. _Sorry, this headache makes it hard to concentrate. _

Ash took a deep breath. He had to fight an unknown group of enemies in order to reach a machine that was connected to a mad gym leader who was throwing around city destroying power, fighting a member of the Elite Four. Her puppet-masters might call her back to defend the relay. Agatha might destroy the building to get at Sabrina. And then there was the enemies themselves. He had no clue how strong they were. They could be easily out his league.

On the other hand Sabrina would die if he didn't do something, and the longer the fight went on the more likely it was that the people of Saffron City would be caught in the crossfire. Ash wouldn't stand for that.

_Alright! Everybody get out! _Five pokéballs flew through the air. Five pokémon stood tall after white light flared.

_Everybody know what's going on? _Ash asked.

_The gym leader's been driven crazy and put the city in danger, _Pidgeotto answered.

_And we have to raid the enemy stronghold to save the damsel and the town, _Bulbasaur added.

_And they might be stronger than us, _Charmander continued nervously.

_But there's no way they're cooler than us! _Squirtle finished. _I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm not going to let this stand. _

_I've never backed down from this sort of thing before, _Bulbasaur growled. _And I ain't aiming to start now. _

_We can do it, _Charmander said. _I'll show you that we've gotten strong enough to do it. _

_Why not? _Pidgeotto said. _I didn't expect it to end up like this that day in the Viridan Forest, but I don't regret it. No matter what you decide to do Ash I'm in._

_I don't need to say anything, _Pikachu told Ash, jumping onto his head.

_I never had to deal with anything like this back with Lucas, _Mismagius added. _This will be a new experience. _

_...If it helps me deal with my headache... _

_Don't worry Psyduck, we need you to stay back so we can use your sensing abilities, _Ash told Misty's pokémon. He grinned. His pokémon had his back. Despite the situation it made Ash feel like all was right with the world. _And everyone, thanks. Let's go do this! _

* * *

><p>Agatha crossed her arms from where she stood, half a mile outside the city. She was standing in the center of an intricate design, a triple circle with thirteen symbols covering the space between the two outer circles. A line extended from each of the circles reaching to the smallest inner circle around Agatha.<p>

Floating over her head was a gengar, her first pokémon.

"Alright Mack," she said to the ghost type. "It's almost ready. Just in time too."

_I know, _Mack replied. _I don't want to see if she can do another one of those legendary class attacks. _

The gengar who had stopped the last attack was another one of Agatha's team, a ghost type named Lighthief. As soon as Agatha saw what Sabrina was up to, she ordered the pokémon to give Lighthief their Shadow Ball attacks. Her order traveled through the mist she had conjured and to the ears of the ghost types there. All the ghost types near Lighthief had complied. Agatha had also subsidized the cost of the attack with energy from her spell.

But, in the end, a large portion of the energy had to come from Lighthief. What was more, Lightheif also had to shape and control the energy. It was a monumental task and it left Lighthief completely drained. She had to have some of the other pokémon evacuate him to one of the white magic zones she had set up.

Now he was resting with some of the Saffron citizens. Agatha had also ordered the pokémon to sneak them out. The mist hid this action from Sabrina and now they lay safely within the embrace of Agatha's magical healing zones. There they could recover from any health problems they incurred during the days they were under Sabrina's control. And most importantly it kept them out of the crossfire.

"Mismagius," the witch called out into the mist. "How's the last part coming along? Is it nearly done?"

She heard a positive sound come back through the mist and then nodded. The eldest member of the Kanto Elite Four had sent out her personal Mismagius at the beginning of the fight with the reagents to draw the rest of the designs necessary for the spell. Agatha had given the witch pokémon human bone meal mixed with blood from the thirteen zodiac animals. There were thirteen designs to make, one for each of the zodiac animals. They had to be done perfectly or the spell would fail. Mismagius was easily up to the task.

Agatha sighed to herself. This was her only chance at saving Sabrina, the best lead they had on who was behind the incident. The League needed Sabrina alive to guarantee that they could drag to the perpetrator to justice and ensure that nobody sought to target them in this manner again.

And then Agatha had other reasons for not wanting to kill Sabrina. Sabrina was a powerful League asset, a good gym leader, a good trainer, a good person, and she was close to one of her students. Agatha had been telling the truth when she told the crazed being that had taken Sabrina's place that she had thought that the Saffron City gym leader would one day take her place on the Elite Four. Agatha had been looking forward to that day.

The spell was the only thing that would let Agatha save Sabrina.

But if the spell failed.

Then she would have to kill Sabrina.

* * *

><p>AN: Cliffhanger... of sorts.<p>

Review please. Feedback gives writers motivation and motivation means faster releases.


	23. Chapter 23

Disclaimer: I do not own pokemon

AN: Grabbed a bit of free time this weekend. Please leave a review.

* * *

><p>It should have been raining.<p>

The thought idly floated through Den Tanaka's mind as he gazed out the window, glancing at the skyscraper a couple blocks away where Sabrina was catching her breath. The brown haired green eyed Rocket grunt was leaning against a wall looking out of one of the top floor windows. A mist covered and battle-scarred Saffron City lay below him, battling pokémon scattered throughout town. Flashes of light and bursts of shadow flicked through the mist. The sky was growing darker. The sunlight streaming through the hole Agatha had created was fading. It would be night soon.

More Rocket grunts were loitering around the floor. Some were gossiping, some were eating, some were sleeping on desks and floors, and some were ordering their pokémon about. Two grunts with truncheons stood by the elevator doors down the hallway out of the open office. Den knew there would be a group with pokémon guarding the stairwell for this floor and the floor above where the relay was located.

It had been a relatively boring assignment, if not a vital one. Hikaru had made sure that Sabrina couldn't sense them and so they didn't have to worry about mind control. They had also forced a captured pretty young channeler from Lavender Town to hide them from any casual scrying or wayward spells on Agatha's part; they had hoped to put off the League's discovery of what they had done for as long as possible but they took no chances and set up their defenses early.

When they were done with the channeler they had let her go via a knife across the throat and dumped her body in the building's furnace. Den had been mildly upset by that. They could have just kept her until the operation was over. There was no need to kill her. But he didn't protest. He followed his orders.

He didn't really like what they were doing to Saffron City. He knew that they were supposed to be destabilizing it and sowing distrust for the League, but the methods the Team was using seemed... wasteful. Even if they did manage to weaken Saffron City and split it away from the League, what use would taking it over be if most of its population was dead, along with its infrastructure and industry? It would be a paltry start to Team Rocket's comeback and eventual domination of the nation.

But it was what the higher ups had wanted done and he wasn't about to argue with them.

The building shook as a stray attack impacted on one of the lower floors. Den could hear glass shatter and metal groan. It must have been a doozy.

The Rocket grunt glanced out again. He wondered who was winning, Agatha or Sabrina. Smart money was on Agatha, but Hikaru would be aiming to take out Agatha now that he had the chance...

"Tanaka!" Someone shouted from the open office behind him. The brown haired grunt turned around. It was one of the four executives in charge of the unit, a purple haired woman with eyes of a matching color.

"What is it?" Den Tanaka asked the Rocket Executive.

"It's time for your shift. You're monitoring the security system." She jerked a thumb over her shoulder. "Hop to it."

"Yes ma'am," answered Den. He nodded and walked out of the office area. He traveled down the hallway, past the guarded elevator, and into the north stairwell. He exchanged nods with the men on duty. He looked down the empty shaft in the center of the stairwell. Evidently someone had decided to increase security. There were grunts and pokémon stationed on every stair landing on the upper half of the building.

He climbed the stairs to the next floor and went through a hallway. He turned right into a grey room that was normally locked. The Rockets kept it open. They were the only ones in the building after all.

Monitors covered one of the walls, receiving feeds from the security cameras. Black and white real time images of the entrance ways were on display. There were also various panels that indicated things such as silent alarms and environmental data. One red haired man sat at the console in front of the monitors and panels.

"You the relief?" asked the red haired Rocket, turning around in his swivel chair to face the newcomer.

"Yep," Den replied. "Anything I should know about?"

"Nah," answered the red haired man with a wave of his hand. "Nothing's been happening, other than the battle outside. Floor twenty's screwed up because it's been hit, but other than that everything's normal. It's pretty boring."

"Better than the alternative," said Den as the other man stood up.

"Well you'll probably be hoping for something to happen and spice up your shift-" The man was cut off in mid sentence. An alarm had been tripped, wailing a warning in the security room. The eyes of both men snapped to the monitors. On the first floor someone had broken through the main entrance, leaving shards of broken glass all over. The red haired man grabbed a walky-talky lying on the console. He pressed the button.

"All units be aware. We have intruders on the first floor. I repeat, we have intruders on the first floor. Numbers and identity unconfirmed." The grunt spoke into the communications device, eyes scanning the screens, looking for the intruders.

"Nice going," Den grumbled. "Haven't you ever heard the phrase 'be careful what you wish for'?"

"Stuff it," the other man shot back. "Just get ready to help kill them."

* * *

><p><em>Slow down, <em>Psyduck complained from within Ash's arm. _You're making my headache worse._

_No can do, _Ash replied sprinting through the building, looking for a staircase. _We slow down and we might die._

_Death's a release, _moaned the odd duck.

_Oh be quiet, _Mismagius said, flying alongside Ash's left. _Take a nap or something until we need you._

_Ash, this one! _Pikachu shouted from atop his trainer's head. He was pointing at a door with the staircase symbol next to it. _Here's a staircase._

_Alright, _Ash replied, skidding to a stop. Behind him Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmander followed suit, claws and feet scratching the tiled floor. Pidgeotto flew past them and turned around, bleeding speed and landing next to her trainer.

_Ash be careful going through here, _Bulbasaur told his trainer. _Doorways are a great place for ambushes or traps. We should-_

_Way ahead of you, _Ash said, cutting off his pokémon and stepping away from the door. _Mismagius, Charmander! Burn away this door!_

_Sure thing Ash! _Charmander replied eagerly. He drew in a deep breath, puffing out his chest and raising his tail. The lizard drew his head back, orange light spilling out of his mouth and then thrust it forward. A stream of orange flame flowed forth, engulfing the doorway.

At the same time Mismagius called up a large ball of blue flames. They crackled madly as they appeared out of thin air. The flames that made up the sphere danced wildly creating a chaotic ever shifting pattern of shadow and blue light within the hallway. Everyone but Charmander and Squirtle had to shield their faces from the heat. The ghost type hurled the ball at the door. It impacted at the same time as Charmander's flames.

The flames ate away at the door, weakening it, and the fluctuations of hot air caused by the fire ball shattered it. Bits of flaming wood flew into the stairwell beyond bouncing off walls and stairs. There was the sharp boom of an explosion from within the staircase; an anti-personal mine had been tripped by some of the debris.

_There goes the element of surprise_, Bulbasuar said, rolling his eyes.

_We don't have time to worry about that_, Ash returned. _Alright, this is going to be difficult. They'll have the high ground the whole time we're on the stairs. But it's narrow so we can stop them from crushing us with numbers. We're going to have to move fast and keep moving. Everyone will have to work together and watch each other's backs._

_Aye, aye captain!_ Pikachu shouted with a salute.

_Squirtle Squad at the ready! _Squirtle cried out, standing tall.

_I'll follow your lead, _Mismagius told the human.

_Just like the old days in Orre, _Bulbasaur spoke up. _I'm ready._

_Tell me where to fly, _said Pidgeotto.

_I'm ready, _Charmander stated.

_Uggh, _Psyduck moaned. _Move me to your back. I think I'll be better there. _The human complied, letting the water-type pokémon cling onto his back. The trainer then looked into the stairwell.

Ash's eye's narrowed. He reached up and turned his cap around.

"Let's do this," he said to the group, eyes narrowing. "Bulbasaur, Squirtle you're in front!"

The group roared as they ran into the stairwell and up the stairs. Squirtle and Bulbasuar were in the front, clambering up the steps as fast as they could. Bulbasuar used his vines to pull himself up faster, while Squirtle simply ran on all fours. Following close behind was Charmander, followed by Ash and Pikachu. Above them all flew Mismagius and Pidgeotto.

It was a good thing Ash's upbringing had left him rather athletic and that he had been training all his pokémon for endurance otherwise they would've had to stop by the fifth flight.

Around the seventh flight the group heard the sound of flapping wings, the sound of lots of small wings flapping. Ash stuck his head out into the empty column in the center and saw a mass of blue and purple winged pokémon bearing down on them. Zubats, an entire flock of zubats.

"Pikachu get them!" Pikachu launched himself into the air, soaring upward towards the flock. He scrunched his face and curled his body as he built up charge. Sparks and streamers of electricity danced on the red spots that were his cheeks.

The zubats opened their mouths, no doubt preparing to launch a massed sonic attack. But before they could make a sound Pikachu let loose the power he had built up.

_Lights on, lights out! _Three large bolts of zig-zagging yellow power sprang forth from the electric-type pokémon. They coursed through the flock, leaping and spiraling upwards from zubat to zubat. The Rocket pokémon shrieked as they were shocked. The three bolts swirled together when they reached the top of the flock, becoming one large bolt that continued upward until it earthed itself in the underside of a staircase.

Most of the flock quit flying downwards and started falling, lightly singed and smoking. Those that remained conscious were disorganized. They milled about, confused.

Without being prompted, Bulbasaur's vines reached out and grabbed Pikachu. He pulled his teammate back to the group.

"Pidgeotto, Gust Bullet to finish them off!" Pidgeotto let loose a wordless piercing cry in response. She flew out into the empty shaft and gave two mighty flaps of her wings. Two masses of grey furiously spinning wind shot upward. They caught the small blue flying pokémon and carried them upward, trapping them within their spiral currents. The zubats were spun about and then shot out, slamming into walls and then falling to ground.

"Wow, those zubats seemed real weak," Ash commented, leaning against the railing to catch his breath.

_Yes, well, that's to be expected of most Rocket pokémon, _Mismagius informed the human raised by one of her comrades. _There's no reason for them to strive to get stronger, there's no bond between them and their trainers. Such a bond is against Team Rocket's ideals even._

_What do you mean? _Charmander asked.

_I mean, _Mismagius began, talking to Ash's newest pokémon, _that Team Rocket views pokémon simply as tools to be used at best and monsters that need to be put down at worst. Most of their pokémon are kept in a general pool and don't receive training. They don't want them to get too strong and rebel, you see. Also, since they view the pokémon as expendable, there's no need to train them as they'll probably die soon anyway. Why waste the resources? This is part of the reason they like to steal pokémon from trainers. They come pre-trained, increasing the strength of the general pool, and cost the League resources._

_Some of the higher ranking Rockets, like the combat teams and the executives personally train their pokémon,_ continued Mismagius._ They're the ones you have to watch out for. For the rest, well, you're all probably heads and shoulders above the lot of them. I have to say Ash, you have a real strong team for one so young._

"Thanks", Ash replied, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. "But they were all pretty strong before I got them."

_He says the nicest things, _Pikachu told Mismagius. _It's why we put up with the idiot._

_I see, _Mismagius stated with a grin.

"Alright, let's keep moving," Ash ordered. "We've still got a ways to go."

* * *

><p>Agatha closed her eyes and listened to what the mist had to say. Her spell-mist, created by her and her pokémon allowed her to 'see' what was going on in the city and carried her orders to the pokémon following her. With it she could tell that Sabrina was resting on the tallest skyscraper in the city.<p>

Why was she resting there? Mist crawled up the sides of the building and snuck inside. It seemed empty at first glance, but Agatha wasn't sure.

The broadcast antenna at the top seemed like an optimal spot for whatever machine allowed Team Rocket to take control of Sabrina. If they had her move closer, maybe to strengthen their connection or give her new orders...

In this situation wartime measures could be taken, there was no argument to the contrary. Collateral damage was an accepted risk.

Agatha of Kanto's Elite Four ordered the attack.

A small meteor of dark power shattered some windows on one of the top floors and continued inward. After a moment the rest shattered and turned into glittering dust as a ring of dark energy radiated outward, slightly tilted. Supports and beams were broken and a whole floor disappeared. The remaining couple of top stories fell downwards with a crash, knocking Sabrina off her feet. There was a grinding sound as the loose floors began to slide off of the building. Anyone watching could see the giant structure shudder.

Sabrina regained her feet and jumped off before the piece of the building tumbled into empty air. The giant antenna on top gouged huge chunks out of the rest of the building, sending broken glass everywhere.

Several more balls of darkness shot up from out of the mist. They smashed into the falling floors and pulverized them, reducing them and the antenna to dust.

Sabrina reappeared on a much smaller office building. Agatha observed her for a bit, looking for any sign that might indicate something had changed.

There wasn't one.

Agatha sighed. It had been too much to hope for. It looked like the spell was the only option then.

* * *

><p>Sabrina growled. That bitch had dared to scar <em>her <em>city, had dared to mar one of _her _city's best features! Just for that she'd tear the hag to piece. No, she'd burn the witch! After she had killed each and every pokémon that had followed her. Yes, that's how she'd take her revenge.

She sent her thoughts out to her pokémon, telling to form teams and then take turns grabbing items from the gym to refresh themselves while the rest held off Agatha's assault. That last combined Psybeam would have taken a lot out of her pokémon.

The fighting began to cluster around the gym. Pokémon let loose battle cries and screamed out in pain. Psychic power warped the world and was met with otherworldly strength. At the same time the mist began to reclaim the areas where it had been blown away by the giant Psybeam.

Buildings crumbled and the street was torn up by the condensed fighting. Lampposts were yanked up and used as clubs by both sides. Water mains were cut into and their burden shot out into the streets. Saffron City more and more began to resemble a war zone.

Sabrina teleported into the gym and grabbed some stimulants meant for humans. She needed to be at her best to take on Agatha. She would also probably need to be at her best to locate Agatha.

A Mr. mime crashed through a wall and tumbled down the hallway next to the storage room. Sabrina grabbed him in a telekinetic grip and brought him inside. She grabbed a super potion and began applying it to the pokémon's wounds.

There was a sharp pain in her head, like cognitive dissonance enhanced, as if two totally irreconcilable viewpoints clashed in her head. Why was this happening? She clutched at her head and moaned. Was something wrong with her-

She was staring at the floor. What had she been doing again? She had been treating the pokémon's wounds. And then she was going to find Agatha.

Why did she space out during such a critical conflict? Stress, that must be it.

Sabrina shook her head and returned to what she had been doing.

* * *

><p>"Is it ready yet?" Agatha asked her mismagius through the mist. Most of the citizens of Saffron City were out of danger but the longer the battle continued the greater the property damage became.<p>

While she was waiting for a response she looked over the citizens, looking for Brock and the Cerulean sister, whose name Agatha couldn't recall. Oh, and that one black haired trainer with the cap that they had with them.

Brock and that red haired girl were safe in one of Agatha's white magic zones. But she couldn't find the boy. She used the mist to look through the streets of the city and at the people her pokémon were still evacuating. He wasn't there.

Dammit, he must have been raised to speak a foreign language. Her sleep spell was modified to target the people and pokémon enslaved by Sabrina, but the regular version of the spell only worked on people who thought in the same language as the caster. It was an odd requirement, but magic was like that.

Hopefully the boy had enough sense to hide somewhere safe. If she sensed him out in the streets she'd have to send one of her pokémon to get him out of the city.

Mismagius's response came back through the mist. From the tone of her voice, Agatha knew that she was saying yes, the spell was ready. After spending so much time with her pokémon she didn't need to understand their words to know what they were saying.

It was time to begin the final stage of her plan. The old woman raised her cane and pointed it towards the city. The fog roiled and began to extend its coverage to the areas outside the city. But while it was doing that, for a brief instant, Agatha's position would be exposed.

Exactly what she wanted.

Sabrina perked up. Her network had finally sensed something, something other than the Arceus damned mist spawned illusions. She zeroed in on the feeling, analyzing it. No doubt about it, Agatha had been found. The member of the Elite Four had finally slipped up.

Two of her personal alakazams teleported to her side in an instant, refreshed by the items they had used. Sabrina stood up, finished treating the wounded Mr. Mime, and began the calculations. Numbers whirred through her head... why did it feel so foggy for a moment... and then she had the solution. She and the two pokémon flanking her teleported away.

She reappeared just next to the area where she had sensed Agatha. It was outside the city limits, on a foggy plain covered in dying green grass. The oldest member of the Elite Four stood before her, both hands resting on the head of the cane she was leaning on. Her pokémon were nowhere to be seen.

Sabrina sent out a pulse of telekinetic force to create a breeze in order to blow away some of the obscuring mist. The short grass rippled as the air pushed it; Agatha's cloak flapped as she simply looked at Sabrina.

"No tricks this time!" Sabrina cried out in wild glee. "No mist to hide you, no mist to fool me! Time to die!"

Agatha simply smirked.

"Rip the World!" Sabrina called out the name of the attack for once. It seemed appropriate to let her enemy know how she was to die.

Both alakazams pointed their right spoons at Agatha, a prismatic chaos gathering around the ends. They threw all of their newly refreshed strength into their work, grunting in exertion. They brought all of their power to a point just beyond their spoons, warping and twisting the world.

What they created was a region of truly warped space, nearly microscopic. If it had been a simple warp, that region of space would have resembled something found near a black hole, or perhaps even in one in regards to severity. However it was no where near as orderly as the space found near a black hole. That had been Sabrina's original goal when she set about creating the attack; produce a small artificial black hole to throw at the enemy. Unfortunately physics was against her and it was impossible.

But the attack she got instead was still formidable.

The attacks became ready. Light that entered the region was broken by lens of warped space; the distortion was so intense that shades and possibly even colors that had never existed before shone forth. With a final burst of effort the two alakazams launched their attacks.

Agatha calmly watched the two pellets of impossible color streak towards her. They kicked up a tremendous windstorm as they passed through the air, sucking up bits of clod and grass. Tendrils of fog were drawn in, pushed out, destroyed, and dispersed. There was a cacophony of sounds as the warped space chaotically spasmed from shape to shape. It truly was a tear in the world, a region of destructive chaos, an impossible piece of rainbow death.

It wasn't a particularly power or destructive attack. Some of the Psybeams and Psyshocks from earlier in the battle had more raw destructive power and took far less energy. But it was an attack that was impossible to block. How did one block a warped region of space? And it was difficult to evade, the windstorm it created made sure of that.

Agatha's smirk never changed.

"Mismagius Cut the Worlds Apart!" From the old woman's shadow a gengar appeared, holding a mismagius in its arms. It let the other pokémon go and the mismagius flew upwards, just over Agatha's head. Shadowy power flared up, covering the three, and mist billowed outward. The dark power vanished and Sabrina's attacks blasted through the area.

Sabrina laughed wildly. There was no way any defense of Agatha's could have stopped those attacks. Yes, the only thing that would remain was grass covered with blood and gore. It was her victory!

Once more Sabrina sent out a pulse of telekinetic force to blow away the mist. She wanted to see the results of her victory, to stand among her enemy's remains.

But there was nothing there.

Sure there was the wild and spotty trail of destruction her attack had left, but there was no sign of the scattered bits of the old woman's corpse and the broken bodies of her pokémon.

Sabrina frowned. Could the attack have carried the-

Shadowy power flared up again in the spot Agatha should have died. It wiped downward and then disappeared, leaving Agatha and her pokémon standing exactly as they had been before Sabrina's attack. Even the ground they had been standing on was untouched.

"Perfect," Agatha said with a smug smile that grated on Sarbina's nerves. "It's time to begin."

She slammed her cane down into the ground and red light began to pour out from it. It traced intricate designs within a set of circles around the witch. The sight filled the gym leader with a fear that was not her own.

Thirteen zodiac animals, all hunted by pokémon, the species who's representative lost the race that chose the zodiac signs (although some argued that dragon could stand for them). The animals now only lived under the care of humans to protect them from the pokémon.

"Rat, hide the bonds with your cunning,

Ox, tighten them with your strength,

Tiger, carve them with your claws,

Rabbit, pull them with your swiftness,

Dragon, harden them with your flames,

Snake, gather them with your wisdom,

Horse, bear them with your endurance,

Goat, direct them with your experience,

Monkey, tie them with your clever fingers,

Rooster, signal the dawn and the start,

Dog, protect the others and your master,

Boar, drive the enemy into their place,

Cat, observe and remember all these things!

Stars above, lend your light as the years spin"

Thirteen other designs, arranged in a circle around Saffron City sprang to life. A line of red light ran from glowing circle to circle, encompassing the entire city.

Sabrina felt something clamp around her, body and mind. Her arms were bound to her sides as if by invisible ropes and she stumbled at the sudden change. Her connection with the telepathic network began to grow weak. It was a sealing spell! Agatha intended to seal her power and take her prisoner!

Sabrina growled, fighting against her bonds, both physically and mentally.

"By the thirteen animals

By the river that chose them

By the years

By the stars themselves-"

She had just a little bit of telekinetic freedom, about enough to lift a twig. Maybe bend a spoon if she tried hard enough. What could she do?

Maybe she could give up, let Agatha deal with the weird stuff she had been feeling during this battle, and then escape later. Yes that-

No! Pain blazed through her skull and her eyes locked onto Agatha's circle. She marshaled the small amount of power she had and lashed out.

It was a small scratch. Just a scuffing of the blood and bone-meal mixture that formed the circle. A small interruption in the arc.

But it was enough.

"Be bound!" Agatha shouted, finishing the spell. But red light died instead of increasing in intensity. Agatha knew the spell had failed. She looked down.

Sabrina began to laugh once more. Agatha merely sighed.

"I'm so sorry Sabrina," she said, her eyes closed. "But it's come to this."

"Don't bother apologizing!" The crazed gym leader shouted. "I won't forgive you even if you get on your knees and begged!"

"I haven't committed the transgression yet."

"The hell you haven't! You came into my city without permission, you disobeyed me, and you damaged my property!"

"That's not what I'm talking about," the member of the Elite Four replied, opening her eyes. The gengar's hands became wreathed in shadows as he prepared to attack. "I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to kill you."

* * *

><p>Ash's calves hurt. It was a bit of an odd experience. But then again going up so many flights of stairs was also an odd experience. It was a good thing they didn't try to run after the encounter with the zubats, otherwise they'd be too exhausted to do any fighting.<p>

He had suggested taking the elevator, but both Bulbasaur and Mismagius had vetoed that idea. It would be too easy to dispose of them in there. No, stick to the stairs they had told him, stay with the original plan.

They had to have climbed over a dozen stories since then. There was No doubt that while they were doing that, Team Rocket was preparing their defense. It would be dangerous.

"How much further Psyduck?" Ash asked the water type on his back.

_A ways, _groaned the duck pokémon. _Can we hurry up? My head hurts the longer I'm near this thing._

"Alright," Ash said gently. "Pidgeotto I need you to see if the next five things of stairs are empty."

Pidgeotto nodded, taking wing and flying upwards.

There was a panicked caw and the crackle of electricity. Pidgeotto dived back down; a few of her tail feathers where singed.

_They're occupied, _she said landing on the railing next to her trainer. _And that hitmonchan is fast with his Thunder Punch._

Ash felt an odd lightness spread through his body. All of his aches and his minor weariness simply vanished. His heart picked up a faster tempo. He could feel a tugging on the corners of his mouth. For some reason he felt like grinning.

"Alright everyone! Let's go!" He gestured forward with his walking stick/staff as he shouted.

Instantly his team surged into movement. They started running once more, flying up the stairs.

_A grunt with two raticates is hiding on the next landing, and there's a drowzee on the stairs behind them_, Pidgeotto informed the group_._

"Bulbasaur, Squirtle! Hit them fast and hard!" Ash commanded. He received grunts of acknowledgment from his pokémon. "Pikachu, Speed Burst, and get the support after them!"

Green vines reached out to grab the corner of the railing where the current flight of stairs ended. Bulbasaur yanked hard, pulling himself off the ground, and swung himself around.

The Rocket grunt was crouched by the next flight of stairs. The two raticates stood in front of him, fangs gleaming and crouched, ready to pounce on the intruders. But there was no time for either of them to react to the green blur that came around the corner.

_Howdy, _Bulbasaur said, his eye's meeting his enemy's as he slammed into the right raticate's head like a green bullet. The normal type pokémon was launched backwards into the stairs behind. He bounced off the hard steps and collapsed in a heap.

At the same time Squirtle flipped himself around. He withdrew into his shell and let loose a high pressured stream of water. He used this to propel himself at the wall opposite the Rocket group. He came out of his shell, hind feet on the wall, and took a quick look at the positioning of his foes. Then, before he started falling, he kicked off the wall, flipped over, and jetted himself at the left raticate.

There was a loud bonk and the other normal type Rocket pokémon fell over as if pole-axed. There had been no time to respond to Ash's pokémons blitz. Squirtle bounced off and up from the impact with the raticate's skull. While in midair he came out of his shell and blasted the grunt with another stream of water.

Pikachu waited half a second before starting his own attack. He used Speed Burst, following the blue and green blurs that were his comrades. He raced around the corner and let loose a Thunderbolt. The bolt traveled under Squirtle and then arced up at the drowzee crouching on the stairs.

The psychic pokémon called forth a Light Screen to protect himself. For a moment Pikachu's attack writhed against the shield, trying to push through, sending streamers of electricity dancing all over it. And then the protection broke. The Thunderbolt continued through and coursed through the drowzee. The Rocket pokémon screeched in pain.

A Thundershock followed, hitting the psychic type in four places. The drowzee flinched in pain, staggering backwards. Another Thunderbolt hammered into her head. She was down for the count.

The rest of the group arrived just as Pikachu was finishing up. Pidgeotto and Mismagius led the way, with Charmander guarding the rear.

"Good job guys," Ash told his team. "Alright, what's-"

He was interrupted by sounds of something running down the stairs. A tan blur appeared on the landing above them. It was a hitmonchan. One of its' red hands crackled with electric power; the other was surrounded by a pale blue aura, no doubt an Ice Punch. It charged the team, no doubt ordered to take out Squirtle and Bulbasaur in one shot.

"Charmander on high!" Ash ordered instantly. Charmander snapped into action. He spit out a gout of flame at the attacking fighting type's face. The hitmonchan was forced to defend, covering the vulnerable area with a boxer's guard.

Bulbasaur seized the initiative. Two of his vines lashed out and wrapped around the hitmonchan's ankles. He yanked upward, holding the surprised fighting type upside down, and then smashed the other pokémon into a wall.

Ash winced. He could feel the vibrations from that through his feet and in his teeth. Bulbasaur repeated the process again and then threw the Rocket pokémon into the wall on the other side of the room. The hitmonchan hit it and slid down. The pokémon slumped over and didn't get back up.

"Nice job Charmander, Bulbasaur," Ash said to the grass type and fire type. "Alright, what's next?"

_I think I saw a magmar up there somewhere, I'm not sure, _Pidgeotto said to her trainer.

"Pikachu, take the lead!" Ash told his starter. "Get ready to dodge."

_On it mon capitan! _Pikachu scampered in front of the party as they started running up the stairs again. The next flight held no enemies and neither did the next landing. The flight of stairs after that was empty as well, allowing Pikachu to rush over them and turn the corner to the next floor.

_Whoa! _Pikachu jumped backward as fire and electricity scorched the floor he had been recently occupying, his voice competing against their conjoining crackling and cackling. _Magmar and electrobuzz up there, _Pikachu called out as he sailed back down. _Also two humans, armed with blades._

Ash nodded and thought for a moment. Before he could come up with any ideas the electrobuzz and magamar rushed to the top of the stairs in front of them.

"Dodge!" Ash shouted on instinct. He dashed away from the two pokémon. His team followed suit, barely avoiding the Thunderbolt and Flamethrower attacks. They could feel the wash of heat from the flames and the tingle of static electricity on their skin. They dashed down the previous flight of stairs and skidded to a stop on the lower landing.

_Damnit, this is what I hate about assaulting buildings, _Mismagius complained. _They've got the high ground. I could probably take them both in this situation, but I don't know how'd much they'd hurt me. And since we don't know what else they have..._

_I've already got an idea,_ Ash whispered to the ghost type. _You're a ghost type right? Obviously, sorry I meant you should be able to pass through the ceiling._

_Yeah, but I know they'll be able to get at least one good hit in and I wasn't trained for endurance._

_Just distract the electrobuzz. Pikachu's got the magmar._

_I do?_ Pikachu twitched his ear in puzzlement.

_Yep, you remember where he was standing? _Ash asked his friend.

_Yeah, but-_

_While Mismagius distracts the electrobuzz, you hit the magmar with a Thunder from here._

_Oh! _Pikachu perked up. _Alright, I'm ready when you are._

_Good plan, _remarked Mismagius. _I'll go when you say._

_Good. Go now! _Mismagius flew around the stairs and then back under them. She ghosted through the ceiling and came out the floor, right behind the electrobuzz. Both pokémon sensed her somehow and turned to meet the threat.

_Incoming! _Pikachu's shout caught the Rocket pokémon's ears, but they paid it no mind. They could deal with this ghost type before the pikachu got up the stairs and around the corner.

Which is why the magmar was caught completely unawares by the Thunder that engulfed him from behind. For a moment he was just a black shape within the column of electric power. Then the attack ended and the magmar was a blackened and singed form falling forward.

The electrobuzz started at the sudden development. It was a slight opening that Mismagius ruthlessly took advantage of. Several small balls of shadow shot forth and pelted the electric type all over. On instinct the electrobuzz raised its' arms to cover itself, a futile action. It was driven back to the edge of the top step.

_Have a nice trip, I'll see you next fall! _Shadowy power and blue fire mixed together and then sped towards the teetering electric Rocket pokémon. There was a boom, a rush of air, and the black striped pokémon went flying back.

Ash winced as the pokémon crashed into the floor. That had to hurt. He heard the sound of running footsteps above, and then a cry of pain. Mismagius evidently knocked out the two humans for him.

_Alright everyone, let's keep going! _Ash told his team. The Rocket's knew they were there. They had to keep moving. If they stopped the Rockets could build up a deadly defense. It was bad enough that they'd probably have all their best pokémon and trainers arranged near the relay; Ash and his team didn't need to deal with that sort of situation on the stairs as well.

_I think there's one final group after that, _Pidgeotto informed them as they raced onward. _Mixed pokémon, raticates, machops, a golbat, and a koffing._

"Then Mismagius has the fighting types, Pikachu has the golbat, Charmander and Squirtle have the koffing and Bulbasaur has the rest," Ash told his friends.

_Why don't I get any, _Pidgeotto asked in a sulky tone. _I'm just as strong as them._

_I can't risk you getting hurt, I need you to scout ahead, _Ash told her. He gently stroked her crest. _Don't worry. You're the first pokémon I caught after Butterfree. I know you're plenty strong._

Charmander expression nearly fell, but he managed to keep his face steady. He was the last pokémon Ash caught. Wasn't he then the weakest? Was he still weak?

No, he'd show Ash he was strong!

_Try not to waste too much effort everyone, _Mismagius told the group. _I'm pretty sure their setup is meant to delay and tire us rather than stop us._

_How can you tell? _Ash asked confused.

_If they were trying to stop us, they'd have combined those two groups. The electrobuzz and magmar could have kept us down while the others moved in. They'd have still lost, but it would have been a better effort._

_Why would they set it up like that? _Ash thought like Mismagius was saying that the people in charge of the Rocket's here had pretty much decided to sacrifice their forces in the stairwell.

_They don't know how strong we are, _Mismagius answered. _For all they know we're one of Agatha's handpicked students._ _And it's critical that the relay is protected until the end of the fight between Sabrina and Agatha_. _They're going with the strategy they feel has the best chance of success, no matter how strong we may be._

_Heh. _Ash grimaced. This was going to be...

Actually pretty easy.

He'd just have to make sure this idea was feasible. He could do that after they got rid of the next group.

"Move out everybody," Ash told the group. Building storming had to come before brainstorming.

* * *

><p>Sabrina back-flipped away from the sudden attack by Agatha's gengar. She had been expecting a Shadow Ball, not a small Hyper Beam. She was forced to teleport in mid-maneuver as a small sharp bolt of darkness sought her heart.<p>

She ended up a hundred or so feet above Agatha. Her two pokémon teleported to her side. The gym leader gave the telepathic commands and they constructed a fortress out of multiple Light Screens and Barriers, enclosing the group in a shimmering translucent box the size of a small house. Sabrina occasionally appreciated the classics. Gravity took hold and the construct started to fall. Sabrina and the alakazams guided its' path, steering it towards the member of the Elite Four.

Agatha didn't even bother looking up.

"Mack, take care of that will you?" She said to her gengar.

_Mack would you gather some wood for the fire. Mack would you mean cleaning up that spill. Mack would you mind clearing out that nest of dark types. _Mack's tone was rather whiny. He flung up his hand and a fiery spear of shadow ascended from it. _And now it's take care of the mad gym leader's giant box of doom. Isn't there someone else you could bother?_

The ghost type's attack shattered all the Light Screens and Barriers. The spear grazed the side of one of the alakazams, leaving a trail of red behind. Droplets of blood flew through the air, staining the shards of light that surrounded the falling trio.

On reflex all three teleported away.

Agatha stroked her chin. She had a handle on Sarbina's new style and she could guess why her... rapists was certainly a fitting term but not the term needed to describe them... her controllers were having her use it.

There was no subtly in Sabrina's new tactics; it was all about brute force and tossing energy around. There were no telepathic attacks on her pokémon; no secret manipulations of the environment; it probably never occurred to her to try and blow away the mist around the city proper!

Of course most of those things would require Sabrina to be in control of herself and her emotions. And those things that didn't would risk Sabrina breaking free. They couldn't risk it.

Agatha could guess how she'd react to her next attack in her current state.

"Mack, Lunar Cycle!" Agatha ordered, pointing to where she sensed Sabrina reappear within the mist.

The gengar opened his mouth. A ball of white energy shone within as he readied a Hyper Beam. At the same time he brought up both his hands, shadows spilling forth. He cupped the white power with the black, surrounding the light with darkness. He then lowered his hands.

Within them he held a black orb, like a miniature new moon. Mack hurled the gathered power. It made no sound as it traveled through the mist towards Sabrina and her pokémon.

Halfway through its flight the Hyper Beam's shell destabilized. The energy ran free of its original binding only to push against the darkness surrounding it. The orb suddenly expanded until it was half as large as Mack.

White energy struggled and changed as it warred with the black. A glimmer of silver could be seen on the edge. The silver then wiped across, changing the whole orb to that color. Then the darkness swept over it, and the silver followed. The process repeated itself over and over as the attack neared the gym leader. At any one moment the oscillating attack resembled the moon that would be arriving, silently passing through the mist.

Sabrina saw the attack rush towards one of her pokémon. Using an attack like that against herself! Such arrogance! She'd show Agatha!

The telepathic command went out. A series of blue orbs the size of a beach ball flew forth to intercept the silver and black attack. At the same time several Light Screens and Barriers were erected between the group and the attacks on a collision course.

The blue orbs met the intimation of the moon. Blue orbs shattered into motes of blue light. Agatha's attack mercilessly bored through them and then hit the defensive screens.

There was an explosion. Blinding white light shone, cutting through the mist, and waves of darkness rolled forth from the point of impact. Mist was blown away and then replaced with dust and smoke. The ground shook and the sound was like a physical thing, pressing up against Agatha and her pokémon.

Sabrina picked herself up. Bits of her uniform had wisps of smoke rising from them and her body felt unusually hot in some places. Aches and pains started registering, she was really going to hurt tomorrow. The psychic woman glanced around.

There was an arm. A yellow and brown arm that ended in a three fingered hand that was gripping a spoon. It lay next to her, without a body, smoking from one end.

Something flare up in her mind. That arm, didn't it belong to her...

Her pokémon...

Dead now. Where was the grief...

Sharp pain erupted in her head as something suppressed her grief. She had felt this thing before, just after killing Britney and after Atsushi expired. What was it?

No, not the time to think about that. Agatha was bearing-

"I'm sorry. Mack, finish her." The gym leader looked up at the voice and saw the gengar pointing one finger, a ball of dark energy on the tip, at her.

* * *

><p>"Dammit, how the hell are they doing this?" The Rocket grunt pulled his head back as another Thundershock arced up from under the stairs and grounded itself in the landing and door-frame.<p>

The intruders had managed to sweep away the lower defenses, the last group of mixed pokémon had fallen quickly. Defenses on the upper level had been prepared. Ranks of Rockets and their pokémon packed the last few landing and hallway entrances. Normal types and fighting types in front, special types in back. It would have been a massacre when they showed up.

But instead the intruder decide to bombard them with constant electrical attacks from below. They didn't have any types immune to electricity to bear the brunt of the attacks, so everyone was forced to find cover.

Den was idling in a hallway, playing with his small crossbow, occasionally glancing at the commotion by the stair well. Until the enemy made their move there was nothing he could really do.

He thought that he heard something behind him, by the elevators. It was faint, but it still managed to reach his ears. The Rocket grunt turned to investigate.

Den saw the tail end of a mismagius as it went through the ceiling. Both of the guards were out cold and the buttons were lit up. The enemy was sneaking behind them with the elevators!

He pointed his crossbow at the doors, waiting for the ding of arrival. He heard the sound and prepared to fire. The doors slid back-

It was a just a kid. A ten year old kid with a big stick and some small pokémon. Den hesitated.

The kid attacked, swinging his staff at the crossbow. Den let out a yelp of pain as the crossbow went flying and retaliated by kicking the kid in the stomach.

Ash gagged. That kick hurt. He felt his staff being yanked out of his hand and then he felt it hit his side. He tried to counter, using a punch Brock had been teaching him, but the man easily brushed it aside.

It was only natural, Ash was a ten year old child with only a couple months max of hand to hand training. He was up against a fully grown adult. He didn't stand a chance.

Luckily he wasn't alone. Green leaves sliced the staff apart and vines whipped the man. Flames licked at his feet and talons tore at his face. Finally a blast of water finished him off, throwing him into the wall.

The other Rocket's heard the commotion and were turning around to investigate.

"Pidgeotto, Charmander, now!" Ash grunted through the pain. He was having some minor problems breathing.

The fire type stepped out first. The orange pokémon took a deep breath and belched out a fireball. Pidgeotto flew over him, following the fireball closely. She pulled herself up, leaving the flying type perpendicular to the ground, and flapped her wings several times.

A Gust Bullet raced into the fireball, fanning the flames, enlarging the fireball, and adding the fire to its own spiral. The conjoined attack swept down the hallway scorching the walls, ceiling, and floor, a spiral flower of dancing light and heat.

The Rockets and their pokémon screamed as they were caught in the blast. The flames weren't hot enough to be lethal, but they would hurt considerably. And the wind was enough to push everyone back. Humans and pokémon by the door staggered backwards, out into the open. They were engulfed in a Thunder from Pikachu.

Upstairs the process repeated itself with blue flames. Mismagius's flames burned hotter and hurt more. Several Rocket's and their pokémon ran out of the hallway screaming. Pikachu got them too.

"Alright, everybody, finish them off," Ash grunted. It was getting easier to breath.

The Rocket forces were caught between Pikachu's electricity and the vines, fires, winds, and water of the rest of Ash's team. Combined with the brutal fire attack they had already taken, they went down quickly. The floor was covered with singed and groaning bodies, weakly stirring from time to time.

Mismagius floated back down.

_Other group is down, _she informed the pokéraised trainer.

"Good," replied Ash. He turned back to the open elevator and picked up Psyduck. "Psyduck, I need you to lead us to the relay now."

_Ugh, _the psychic duck moaned. _It's- it's -it's on the roof, opposite corner from this stair case. I'm at my l-l-limit here, don't bring me any closer._

_Alright, _Ash lowered the water type down. _Bulbasaur, Charmander, could you take him down a couple of floors and watch over him? Squirtle, Mismagius, I want you to make sure they're all out. Pidgeotto, I need you to look around to make sure there aren't any Rockets sneaking up on us._

_And what do you want me to do? _It was Pikachu who spoke up. Once the commotion had died down, the small yellow electric type had made his way up to meet with the rest of the group.

"You're with me," Ash informed his starter, extending an arm to allow Pikachu to climb up. "We're going after the relay now."

_Anytime idiot, _Pikachu imperiously pointed in a random direction. _Come, let us now save the damsel!_

The two of them crossed over to the staircase on the other side of the building. There was a brief incident with a trio of Rocket grunts and their pokémon, but rapid fire Thunders by Pikachu sorted it out. It also left him exhausted.

They reached the staircase without incident and fortunately found it to be empty. They climbed to the top and found an access hatch to the roof. Ash opened it and climbed up and out.

The winds were fierce, tugging at his clothes, and stealing his balance. Ash kept his stance low and stayed away from the edge as he searched for the relay. A small band of his flesh, near the ankles grew cold. He glanced down. Didn't his jeans used to go lower than that?

_There! _Pikachu pointed to what looked like a small transmitter dish on the corner. It didn't look out of place on a skyscraper like this, along with the antennas and other equipment on top.

Ash stared at the thing for a long moment. This was the thing that was putting an innocent woman's life in danger. This was the thing responsible for the death of that child who's head the crazed gym leader had shown them.

No this was just a representative of the thing that did all that. The real thing was far off, hidden somewhere in the countryside. Somewhere where they couldn't strike at it.

But at the very least...

"Pikachu," Ash growled to his pokémon. "Destroy that!"

_Sure thing! _Yellow power cackled and a twisting column of electricity blazed under the last vestiges of the twilight sun. It hit the dish, coursing through it. Wires and valuable electronic warped and melted from the heat. The electricity traveled down the connection to the process and power systems. They simply exploded within their darkened rooms. The dish itself began to warp from the heat generated by the current flowing through it.

Pikachu gave one final surge of power and the dish was blasted off the roof. It tumbled through the air and was lost in the mist below.

* * *

><p>Hikaru Buckak clutched at his head. The image of a young boy with a cap and a Pikachu flashed through his mind as the pain raced through his body. He could feel the connection with Sabrina slipping away...<p>

Sabrina suddenly screamed, catching Agatha and her pokémon by surprise. They watched in fascination as the gym leader grabbed the sides of her head and howled to the sky.

Mack grabbed Agatha and pulled her back right before a telekinetic storm was brought to life around Sabrina. Chunks of the ground were ripped up and thrown about wildly in chaotic orbits around the gym leader, randomly being crushed and twisted. The psychic distortions kicked up a roaring windstorm as well.

It wasn't an attack, Agatha and her pokémon could easily tell that. There was no control or direction. If one was caught up in it one would either be gently thrown out or crushed, it was all up to chance. But then, what was it? Could it be...

|**Get. Out. Of. My. Head!**| The telepathic shout could be heard throughout all of Saffron City. Even Agatha, protected by her spells, picked up on it. It was followed by a telepathic scream of fury and grief.

What miracle was this? What had suddenly given Sabrina the power to fight back? Agatha didn't know and in that moment she didn't care. As long as Sabrina could be saved!

Within the mind of Sabrina forces clashed. Chaotic could not even being to describe the way the struggle made the colors dance. And the pain, oh Arceus, the pain. It felt like her head would burst, like the membrane within her skull was tearing itself to pieces. Blood vessels all over her head bulged as her brain demanded more resources.

The wild expanse of colors began to shrink as Sabrina clawed her way back through the intrusive link that had violated the deepest parts of her being. The machine thing tried to fight back. The unstoppable drill force ground away at her efforts. But it was no match for the memories of Britney's last scream and Atsushi's tears. Wild and insane power tore away at the mechanically directed psychic force even as it attempted to grind the counter-attack into dust.

The colors within her mind began to go dark, shrinking the mental landscape. Nerves were fried by the fierce battle. Parts of her body began to go numb. Sabrina was in no state to notice that.

She quit opposing the drill like force, letting the storm that was her power flow around it instead. All of the power she and her pokémon had was put into offense, not a single bit was left to defend. The attack wasn't like a lance as most psychic attacks were; no it was more like lightning.

The drill returned to her mind, turning the remaining colors red, once more violating the center of her being.

But it didn't matter anymore.

Hikaru was slammed back in his chair as an ocean of psychic energy blazed through his mind. Any attempt at defense with the resources he had was laughable; one could not stop a tsunami with some sandbags. The captured pokémon slaved to the network screamed and died as the uncontrolled power ran through them. Heads exploded, showering blood and brain everywhere.

It was only chance that saved the psychic Rocket. Had any portion of the attack lingered in him, ended at him, then he would have died as well. But it all simply passed through him.

The machine that Jessie, James, and Mewoth had stolen exploded. The pain ended and Hikaru Buckak slumped over in his chair. His eyes were wild and he was breathing heavily, clutching at his chest. But for the most part he seemed healthy.

Sabrina fell over like a puppet whose strings had been cut. The ravaged earth felt soft to her. Her mind was blank; there was too much to process at once. And she was hurt and scared. Where was...

Dead! She had killed them! Memories invited themselves into the forefront of her mind. She could recall their screams and the pleasure she had felt as she tormented them. Sabrina could recall them perfectly.

No, it couldn't be true! It just couldn't! She would never do that!

But she did. She could not deny the truth within her head. They were dead by her hand.

The sound Agatha heard couldn't be described as human. No human could sound so utterly broken; human vocal cords shouldn't be able transmit such grief.

The eldest member of the Elite Four cautiously approached her foe. Mack and Mismagius hovered on either side of her. She knelt down and placed a gentle hand on the shaking gym leader.

Sabrina grabbed at it like it was the last lifeline in existence. Agatha pulled her into a warm embrace.

As the utterly broken woman sobbed into her shoulder Agatha reflected on the miracle.

Maybe it would have been kinder to simply kill her.

* * *

><p>AN: REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW<p>

I'd like to thank Selm and PublicMasicator for beta reading.

This chapter was originally going to contain the aftermath of this whole fiasco, but I decided to add that to the next chapter.

This arc was inspired by four things: The changes I had already made to cannon (in this setting how could a gym leader go insane, like Sabrina from the anime, and how would the setting react?), the horror of Sabrina's actions (turning people into dolls) that the anime never fully addressed (you could probably use it as part of a plot for a horror movie), a line from the original pokemon games in Lavender Tower where one of the channelers says she used white magic to give you and your party a spot to rest, and Lily from the Jhoto episodes.

In this setting the only way for someone like Sabrina to go insane would be for her to suddenly snap. She's a high profile figure, she would be constantly in the spotlight, and people would know how dangerous a mad psychic could be. And if she did go insane, she would be swiftly neutralized.

Do I need to explain how much horror you could derive from the premise of turning people into living dolls to play with?

Agatha's pretty much the ultimate channeler. It would make sense that she's mastered all of their arts.

Lily just meant that I didn't have to limit magic to dealing with the dead. I'll probably touch on why magic isn't a bigger part of the world when we get to her in Jhoto.

This arc, starting from chapter 20, has been fun. I got to play around with elements that I haven't had a chance to touch yet, horror and romance. It also took care of a nice bit of world building as well, we got a chance to learn a bit about the Elite Four.

Winter break starts next week, so I should hopefully get at least two more chapter done over the break. Don't hold me to that though. I'll have to deal with my **_family _**and that always complicates things.

If my younger taller brother is reading this, Merry Christmas in advance and know I will get my revenge on you yet. Yes it's me. Didn't know I wrote this did you? And to my shorter younger brother, who probably isn't reading this, Merry Christmas and prepare for a world of hurt when I return home.

REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW

Please leave a review. Feedback is like a present. Also it's the only way for us authors to improve.


	24. Chapter 24

Disclaimer: I do not own pokémon.

AN: This chapter is unbeta'd because I said I'd try and release two chapters over break. This next chapter will be beta'd. Also it's shorter than usual.

* * *

><p>Now it was raining in Saffron City. It was a constant deluge that soaked the city, getting everywhere. Small rivers rushed down the street-side drains, under a sky filled with gray clouds that stretched as far as the eye could see. There were huge puddles everywhere, particularly in the craters that the battle had left behind, soaking passer byer's and worker's footwear as they hurried through detours or cleaned up debris. Workmen had to lay down large sheets of water-proof material on the new roof of what used to be Saffron City's tallest skyscraper. Every bit of ground not covered by a structure, concrete, or asphalt, had been turned into patches of runny mud. The citizens had grown used to the taste of freshwater on their lips for that day.<p>

All the citizens save Sabrina. It wasn't freshwater she tasted running down her cheeks.

There was mud all over her, ruining her suit. The psychic didn't care.

It was fitting, Sabrina reflected, that there wasn't thunder and lightning. There was no fight in her, no anger, no denial to match it. It would have been a waste of weather.

Her hands felt wet and grimy. Cold mud seeped between her fingers from where she sat on her knees, leaning forward and resting on her hands. Sabrina's skin felt empty of warmth, all her heat washed away by the rain. Though her flesh was becoming more and more numb the woman could still feel herself shiver.

Sabrina's violet eyes were red and puffy, the colors juxtaposed against the large dark bags under them. Mucus constantly seeped out of her nose, mixing with the various waters running down her face. Her face was all splotchy, but that was to be expected. It had been a week after all.

Every second it felt like she couldn't cry anymore and yet every second she continued.

The day before had been the first day that she had been somewhat stable. She had actually managed to eat two decent meals and have a good night's sleep.

And then today she had come to the cemetery.

Of course there would be no grass on this grave.

She looked up from the muddy ground framed by the long black hair that fell over her head. She had taken care of it earlier in the day, taking care to hide the patch she had torn out earlier, but her time in the rain and mud had ruined it. The new sight which greeted her eyes was a tombstone inscribed with Atsushi's name, date of birth, and his date of death.

Dead. By her powers.

Earlier in the week she may have raged. She may have thrashed, screamed, and wailed. She may have tried to harm herself. Maybe she would have slammed her head into the grave marker. Maybe she would have tried burn herself with some pyrogensis. Maybe she would have thrown herself to the ground, tearing and biting at herself like a mad animal.

But that was earlier, before it started feeling like everything inside her had been scooped out. She was an empty vessel ringed by grief now. So she simply stared at the tomb of her dead lover.

"You'll catch a cold," a familiar voice spoke up behind her. Sabrina didn't bother turning around to confirm who it was. Nor did she bother responding to the member of the Elite Four.

Sabrina heard a sigh and then the rain quit falling on her. The psychic looked back and up.

The old witch's dark purple cloak was closed and she was holding an umbrella over the two of them. It was a modern umbrella which clashed with Agatha's old fashioned looks. The ghost type trainer was looking at the psychic type trainer with a calm and steady gaze. Her eyes held neither pity nor judgement.

"Come on," Agatha said, offering one of her clean and mostly dry hands to Sabrina. "I think you've been here long enough. You should go back to the gym, for a little while at least."

Sabrina simply looked back at the gravestone. Agatha was silent for a little while.

"It's not your fault you know. But we've told you that numerous times already so I doubt that'll make you feel better now." Agatha continued watching Sabrina, looking for any sign of a response.

"You're all wrong," Sabrina replied. "I may not have done it, but it was all my fault."

"Oh?" Agatha raised on fading blonde eyebrow. This was new.

"If I had stopped him from taking over-"

"There was little you could have done," Agatha told the trainer. "You were attacked in an unorthodox manner with an experimental machine which had just been stolen. It is ridiculous-"

"I managed to fight him off in the end," Sabrina replied.

"And there were several factors there that weren't present before," Agatha calmly responded. "The state of your emotions for one."

"Because he killed Atsushi, Britney, and Alakazam. Because he was the one who killed all those people in the hospitals when I mind controlled the doctors. Because he was the one who killed all those people who didn't take their medications or take care of themselves while under mind control. Because it's my fault all that happened." Sabrina's voice was filled with resignation and sounded glum. But, Agatha noted, it didn't sound dead. "Yeah, I managed to shake him off in time to save my life and that's about it."

"What else could you have done against him the first time?" Agatha asked calmly, reasonably.

"I could have killed myself," Sabrina's voice cracked for the smallest instant. "I could have saved all those lives if I had just thought about-"

"It's a bad sign when someone considers that an option in a crisis involving a sudden unknown attack," Agatha interrupted. "And I know it's hard for a psychic to kill themselves with their power unless they are very unhealthy. You have a lot to live for; no one blames you for not killing yourself-"

"Plenty in this city blame me-"

"Nobody rational," Agatha corrected herself. "There will always be some hot heads, but luckily most of the city is putting the blame where it belongs, with Team Rocket."

"The blame lies with them, but the fault lies with me," Sabrina looked back at Agatha. "Putting aside the option of killing myself, I could have always fried my brain, reduced my power."

"That's not much better," Agatha replied. "In fact that's worse, because you would have made it even easier for them to get you."

"Well, that's what ended up happening anyway," now there was an emotion in Sabrina's voice:bitterness. "My last attack ended up burning up some important nerves. Team Rocket won't bother trying that again, I've only got about a third of the potential I used to have. I'm useless now."

"Is that why you resigned?" Agatha offered no words of pity or conciliation. She was not close enough to the former gym leader nor did the eldest member of the Elite Four feel that she knew any words that would fit.

"One of the reasons," Sabrina's voice returned to its previous state and she turned back to her lover's grave. "The people of Saffron City will never trust me again, the gym trainers will have problems with me, and I don't trust myself. I'll be leaving most of my pokémon with the gym to help out the next gym leader."

"What will you do then?"

"There's a man I have to hunt down," Sabrina continued to stare at the gravestone. "After I stop by Cerulean City and Britney's grave I'm going to find Hikaru Buckak. And if I don't kill him right away, I'll drag him back into public view, and have him stand trial. And after he's convicted he'll die a horrible death that can't be traced back to me."

"I see," Agatha's voice carried the burden of all her years as she saw another tragedy wind down. "There's nothing I can say to change your mind is there?"

"No," Sabrina's voice sprang to life, carrying all her anger. It was a high and savage sound, something between a scream and a growl. "I will make him pay. I will make an example of him so no one else ever tries something like this again! I will not stop until I have him!" Her voice grew more and more feral, the end of her statement trailing off into incoherent noises.

"I guess it was foolish to think otherwise," Agatha closed her eyes. They stood together at the grave for a while longer.

After some time had passed Agatha opened her eyes.

"Did you ever thank that boy? Aaron, I believe that was his name. Even if you had me deliver that Marsh Badge to him you should have still-" The old woman was cut off by the psychic woman.

"No. I will never thank him." Bitterness once more. "He's a good kid. I hope never to meet him again, because I will resent him until the day I die. If he hadn't interfered I wouldn't have to live with all- all - all _this_."

"Well, if you change your mind, he's heading for Celadon City," Agatha told the the broken human. "And remember to keep his identity a secret. The public and Team Rocket don't need to know anything other than a League trainer helped to free you."

"I don't care. I'm not even going to try and remember his name." Sabrina's voice was flat again.

Agatha didn't respond. She stood with Sabrina for a couple more minutes before speaking again.

"Come on," she told the former gym leader. "You need to get back. You're going to be dehydrated and you'll probably need some salt to replace everything you've lost. And you need to get warm before you get sick."

"I won't die from this," Sabrina replied in a flat tone.

"You are either coming back under your own power, or I'll put you to sleep and have someone carry you back to the gym."

"I'm not leaving this spot. I may not have much power left-" Sabrina was interrupted by Agatha touching the back of her head with a single finger.

Sabrina fell over into the mud instantly, like a puppet who's strings had been cut.

"Thank you," a male's voice cut in. Captain Torch stepped out of empty air. His tattoos were glowing with a fading light as the cloaking spell died.

"You're welcome," Agatha told her student. "And thank you for fetching me. I doubt any more time in the rain would have done her good."

"Do you want me to carry her? Or are you going to have one of your pokémon do it?"

"You carry her? So you can-" Agatha stopped her teasing when she saw the expression forming on her student's face. "Oh. I'm sorry."

"It's alright," Torch waved away her concerns, forcing a pained smile onto his face. Agatha saw what was either tears or rainwater in the corners of his eyes. "It's not like anyone could have told."

"And you can't do anything now because of your reputation. It would seem like you're taking advantage of her grief. Or, even without your reputation, it would seem like you're moving in right after the death of your rival."

"I could always let Sabrina read my mind to show her the truth. But the problem is that Atsushi wasn't a rival." Captain Torch was looking away from his teacher, but she could guess the expression he would have on his face.

"Oh. Your heart was broken twice over then." Agatha gestured with the hand that wasn't holding her umbrella and a haunter flew out of the ground. It was carrying an umbrella, which it opened. Agatha walked away from the prone gym leader, leaving her pokémon to keep the rain off of her. The haunter also conjured up a blue flame, and began to warn and dry the gym leader while it waited.

She put a gentle wrinkled old hand on her student's shoulder.

"I saw some of what she did, I returned after sending the message to you." Torch stared up into the clouds. He must have been using a spell to keep the rain off of him. Agatha normally would have scolded him for such a frivolous use of magic, but she decided to let it slide once.

"Even if I was in any condition to be with her, she's got to live with the memory of doing that to him," the spellcaster took out a cigarette and a lighter. He offered one to his teacher. She shook her head.

"I thought you quit years ago," she said to him.

"I did." Torch lit the cancer stick and took a long drag. "A lot of what she was doing was telepathic illusions, and her protection plus my spells stopped me from having to witness them. But there were other things, things I could see, and I could always hear them scream. I kept trying to do something but it never worked. She almost killed Shadow without even realizing it. And she's got to live with all that and more. There aren't words to describe just how much that's got to have fucked her up."

He blew out some smoke.

"I'm not sure how she's even functioning right now," Torch continued. "I can't even begin to imagine what she's going through. I don't know if she'll ever recover. I know my reasons are selfish, but I want to help her. Disregarding everything else, we were friends. I'd like to be friends again at least."

"Of course it won't be that simple. There are going to be problems on your end if she does recover. You'll unconsciously resent her for killing your mutual love." Agatha sighed. If her life hadn't contained some major bright and shining lasting victories this would have been all she needed to give up. "What are you going to do now captain?"

"You know I haven't been a captain since you saved me," Torch replied.

"I can't imagine you as anything else."

"I have trouble with that sometimes as well." Torch blew out a bit of smoke. "I'm going to go with her."

"To protect her?"

Torch snorted.

"Even at a third of her former power she's a lot better than me," Torch informed his teacher. "No. I'm just going to..."

"Remind her to take care of herself. To remind her that there are still people who care about her. To try and bring some light into the dark place she's currently in, and one day, fate willing, help her out of there." Agatha clasped his shoulder. "I wish you all the luck in the world my student. You have my blessings."

"Thank you sensei." Torch bowed to her.

"No need. I think you need to do this just as much as she needs someone to do this." Agatha cupped the side of his chin. "Your heart will heal in time and you will know unclouded joy once more. Your and Sabrina's sunny days have been stolen by a sudden storm, but they will return."

"Maybe," Torch's voice was almost as bitter as Sabrina's had been.

"There is no maybe. Happy days will end and sorrowful ones will take their place. Storms will assault our journey's and home's, and hail will batter and cut us. But the sunny days always return. And when the sunny days return, we know that they cannot last forever." Agatha looked up into the rainy sky. "But we can learn to endure the rain, take shelter from the hail, and fight the wind. We can take joy in the knowledge that others are enjoying the sun while we struggle. We can shelter them from the hail. We can take joy from the fact our happiness can only be stopped, never stolen. You were happy once Captain. Take joy from those memories. You will be happy again. Take joy from the fact that your future happiness will never be stolen."

The good captain snorted and smoked some more.

"And you can learn to take light into the dark places," Agatha continued. "It will be hard, but you will succeed."

"How can you be sure?" Torch's voice was no more than a bitter whisper.

"It's easy." Agatha smirked. "I've always found that torches help with darkest places."

Torch smiled bitterly.

"After all," Agatha continued. "If it hadn't been for you being there to warn me, things would have been even worse. Chin up Captain. You've got work to do. But for now you can light the way back to the gym."

* * *

><p>Elsewhere it was a bright and sunny day in Kanto, with only the occasional white wisp for a cloud. For most of Kanto autumn was pretty much a slightly cooler summer, where the leaves started changing color. The heat from the sun was offset by the cool breeze that gently rustled Misty's ponytail and Ash's jacket. The yellow dirt path was dry and firm beneath their feet.<p>

Pikachu looked back from his perch on Ash's head. Grey clouds edged on the horizon that they were traveling away from.

_Good thing we missed that, _the yellow pokémon commented idly.

"Alright, say there were seven Rockets hiding in those trees up ahead," Brock began pointing to a small thicket around the path. They were in a rockier area than usual. For once there was more pale bare ground then there was greenery and trees. It was also a steeper land, filled with hills and gullies everywhere. Piles of stones, what looked like the remnants of rock-slides, littered the land.

"How would you go about-" Brock continued, but Misty cut him off.

"Give it a rest rock boy," she said to the former gym leader. "You've been grilling him on strategy all week."

"He went into that building with only the smallest bit of strategy!" Brock protested. "His tactics were good, but you should never go into a situation like that and just expect to string together a bunch of short term plans. He should have at least had some sort of exit strategy planned."

"I'm still surprised that you're not mad at me for getting into danger again," the boy called Aaron and named Ash commented, looking into the thicket ahead. He still needed to replace the walking stick that Bulbasaur destroyed in Saffron City.

Brock may have rolled his eyes at that comment.

"Considering that there was no safe spot in the city, Agatha's spell randomly failed to knock you out, there was a battle between a mad psychic gym leader and a member of the Elite Four, and Misty's Psyduck was in pain" -the half truth Ash had used to explain how and why he went to the building where the relay was - "attacking the Team Rocket grunts stationed around the relay wasn't necessarily a bad call," the elder boy explained. "We've already gone over this."

"I know," Ash replied as they reached the thicket. He glanced around for a fitting bit of wood. "I was just saying I was still surprised."

"Kids these days," Brock muttered angrily. "Why back in-" And he abruptly stopped once he realized what he was saying.

"Crap, I'm starting to sound like an old man," groaned the gym leader. "I must have caught something from Agatha's spell."

"I don't think it works like that," said Misty, an amused look on her face. "Or maybe Aaron and I were immune because we're in the springtime of our youth."

"I'm not getting old. I'm not even twenty!"

"You're old to me," Ash muttered, just loud enough for Brock to hear him.

"I guess I'll just have to prove I'm young by getting up even earlier in the morning for training then, won't I," the dark skinned boy shot back at the pokéraised child.

"Hey!" Ash protested. "There's no need to do that."

"Nonsense, I'm young," Brock said with an evil smile on his face. "I should be making the most of the day."

"Umm..." Ash nervously backed away. "Why don't we eat now! I need to go find a new stick!" He suggested in a panicked tone. He quickly turned around and darted into the trees.

Brock and Misty looked at each other and then burst into a fit of uncontrollable laughter.

_That was scary, _Ash said to Pikachu as they came out the other side of the thicket.

_If he thinks that we're going to be getting up any earlier then we already are, he's in for a shocking surprise, _Pikachu growled, sparks flying from his cheeks. _Some of us require our beauty sleep. I'm not going to lose my perfectly plump pikachu figure just because he's an early rising, sadistic, workaholic._

_Yeah, I didn't want to say this, but I think you've lost a little weight, _Ash told his pokémon, rubbing the back of his head.

_No! _Pikachu wailed. _If this keeps up, I- I- I- I might become a thin pikachu! _

_It's only a little bit, _Ash reassured him. _Hardly noticeable. _ He felt a rough branch of a bush he wandered through brush his ankle. He looked down. There was no mistaking it. His jeans must have shrunk at some point. His shirt was also feeling a little tight, it must have shrunk as well.

He knew that washing his clothes so often would have consequences! Washing them after wearing them for only a week at a time wasn't only wasteful, it was harmful to the clothes!

Ash bumped the very tip of his head on a tree branch. Pikachu had seen it coming and jumped off without warning his trainer. He glared at the mouse.

_It looks like I'm not the only one changing_, Pikachu observed.

_I don't know what you mean_, Ash replied, rubbing his head. _Come on, we really should find a good stick. Maybe I can get Brock to show me how to carve it. _

They wandered around a bit more, chatting all the while in the tongue of pokémon. Ash rejected a couple candidates for his new staff on the basis of being too rotten, too short, and for being a young sudowoodo (the pokémon was pretty chill about the misunderstanding).

Ash and Pikachu stopped to take a short break, sitting on some large rocks. Ash stretched and groaned. Brock may not have been mad about what he did in Saffron City, but he had increased the intensity of his training a little bit. Or maybe he was still mad about what he had done back at Melanie's village.

The human leaned back, draping himself over the rock to enjoy the sunshine for a little.

His relaxation was interrupted by the sudden arrival of a pokémon. The pokémon had a pig like snout and grey fur that seemed slightly brown. Its long, prehensile tail waved behind it, and its oddly jointed long arms dug into the ground as it skidded to a stop, bleeding off the kinetic energy from its leap out of the trees. The pokémon's red eyes were intense, Ash guessed that from the curious expression on the mankey's face that the eyes were always like that.

_You! Is it true that there's a human 'round these parts who can talk proper like! _The mankey shouted, pointing a finger at Ash.

_No, _Ash replied. _But I heard there's one just past Celadon City. _

_Oh, I was lookin forward to meetin a human, specially a human who could understand me, _the mankey, its expression falling. _Well, thank you kindly stranger. I best be off before the human gets any further away. _

_You're welcome,_ Ash replied to the pokémon, keeping a smile off of his face. _I hope you find the human. _

_Good day ta ya'll,_ the mankey said, before turning around.

_Wow, you are really unobservant, _Pikachu called out before the fighting type pokémon could hop away.

_Why, just what do ya mean by that? _The mankey turned around, a look of dark confusion on its face.

_I have no idea what he means, _Ash snarked. The mankey stared at him for a second.

_Hey! You're a human! You're that proper speakin human! _

_A regular master of observation, _Ash said to Pikachu.

_He's just a bit better than you idiot. _

_I'm going to trade you for a pokémon that will respect me. _

_Ha! Good one! _Pikachu jumped up on Ash's rock and slapped his back. _As if you could find one._

_That was a mean trick ya played on me mister, _the mankey spoke up.

_Sorry_, Ash replied, looking back at the monkey pokémon with the pig snout. _I thought you would pick up on it right away. _

_So you're a funny man then, _the mankey extended its hand. _I'm Mankey, nice to met ya. _

_I'm Ash Ketchum, _the human extended his own hand. _Nice to meet you as well. _

Mankey didn't take the human's hand. Instead he jumped on the human's limb and grabbed his hat.

He grabbed Ash's hat.

The hat that the Pallet pokémon had stolen for him.

The hat given to him by his wild friend and Poison Lance.

...

...

Mankey jumped away while Ash was frozen in shock.

_Well funny man, here's my joke, _Mankey. _Come and get your hat!_

Ash looked at Pikachu. Pikachu, knowing something of the work that had gone into getting that hat, nodded. The two of them turned to Mankey.

Something about their expressions unnerved the fighting pokémon.

_Er..._ The grey pokémon started backing away. _Oh dear. _

* * *

><p>"Ahh," Jessie sighed contentedly, laying back. She, James, Meowth, Koffing, and Ekans were relaxing on what used to be a huge boulder, but at some point had been cut in half. It gave them a nice flat surface, perfect for a nap in the sun. A place where they could be lulled by the sound of the gentle breeze rustling the tree leaves. A place where they could just do nothing but be with each other.<p>

Or at least most of them could.

"So," James began, fiddling with a datapad of some kind. "I've just checked back in with the local Rocket groups-"

_Not now, _Koffing groaned.

"What Koffing said," Meowth said, curled up on one end of the rock. "Not now."

"We shouldn't do anything today, but we should decide what to do next," James protested. "From what I can tell about the twerp's path he's heading towards Celadon City. Now there are a couple of jobs we can do for the team and-"

_Get back here you stupid monkey! _

_Ain't you one to talk human. _A mankey scrambled out of the trees, a familiar red hat clutched in its hand. There was a crackling buzz and yellow power scorched the ground behind him.

_Pardon me,_ it said, scrambling up the rock and over Team Rocket. _Comin through. _

_Get back here you mangy monkey of a mankey! _A hatless golden-brown eyed boy with black hair shouted also bursting out of the trees. A familiar pokémon ran at his side.

_You can't dodge me forever! _Pikachu called out. He let loose another bolt of electricity, missing Mankey and hitting Team Rocket.

Ash and Pikachu also scrambled up the rock and trampled the shocked and singed Rockets in their pursuit of the pig snouted pokémon.

The pursued and pursuers continued their chase into trees. Team Rocket just sat on the rock for several seconds. James stared at his fried technology. A single tear welled up in his eye. Jessie put out a small flame on her skirt.

"So..." She looked in the direction they had gone. "Is everyone thinking what I'm thinking?"

"That we need to get to Celadon city to steal a replacement," James said, referring to his ruined piece of technology.

"Go back to our nap?" Meowth suggested.

"No," Jessie responded, going from her back to standing on her feet in one fluent movement. "We go after that mankey and grab the twerp's hat! If we've got the hat, we can hold it hostage and make the twerp come to us!"

"And when he does we can show him the presentation!" James finished excitedly. He scrambled to his feet. "And we can make him come at a later date, so we have plenty of time to prepare."

"I like this plan," Meowth added. "Let's get going!"

* * *

><p>"I wonder what he's up to?" Misty said to Brock, before taking a bite out of a rice ball. The two of them were waiting in the thicket that Aaron had originally run off into.<p>

"Probably playing with Pikachu and his pokémon, or at least I hope so," Brock answered. "How is it? I'm trying a new recipe-"

"For some reason this onigiri makes me think of a jelly doughnut," Misty replied. She looked at the rice ball. "That's stupid, an onigiri is nothing like a jelly doughnut. Anyone who confuses the two is an idiot."

"Hmm, back to the drawing board," Brock said to himself.

"And why do you hope Aaron's playing with his pokémon," Misty asked Brock before taking another bite out of the rice ball.

Brock gazed off into the blue sky above.

"Sometimes I think I forget he's a ten year old kid," Brock told the red head. "Most of the time I think he's forgotten it. So far on his journey he's had to deal with two large scale battles, one of which was rather bloody, and another... well that was more like a natural disaster than a battle. He's had to deal with being stalked by that strange Rocket group, saving a certain someone from a crazy fearow,-" Misty coughed "- sinking ships, the fight with those helicopters, and whatever happened at Lavender Tower."

"I don't know if I really want to know what happened in there," Misty admitted.

"My point being, when he's not doing those things he's always focused on traveling or training," Brock continued. "I don't know if I've ever seen him really play around, like a kid should. He's only ten years old-"

"Only two years younger than me," Misty pointed out, her eyes narrowing slightly. She rubbed her hands together to get rid of the grains of rice stuck to her hands.

"That's right," Brock responded. "I sometimes forget that too." He reached over and grabbed her shoulder. "Tag, you're it."

"Very funny," Misty shrugged his had off.

"Well you really should play a bit too" Brock said.

"I'm a gym brat," Misty retorted. "I had my childhood a while ago. Hell, compared to feudal times across the world, I'm still living a carefree life."

"I really don't like the whole gym brat thing," Brock commented. "Seems a bit too much like child soldiers for my tastes."

"You're a gym brat," Misty pointed out accusingly. "Did you think you were turning into a child soldier?"

"No but-"

"Then shut it bub," Misty told the former gym leader. "I don't think there's anything wrong with the way he's doing things. He's obviously enjoying himself on this journey, even with all the other stuff that's been happening. In fact I think you're the one who needs to lighten up a bit. You're only sixteen and-" She reached out and poked his shoulder. "You're it."

"Why you!" Brock mock growled. Misty stuck out her tongue and then started running away, laughing. Brock followed, a smile on his face.

* * *

><p><em>Ya know, ya might be takin this a might too seriously. <em>Mankey scrambled up into another tree just before Pikachu fired off another Thunderbolt. He yelped when the crackling tendril of yellow power curved upward, striking the branch he had been standing on. The branch broke off and Mankey fell to the ground.

_Then give me my hat back! _Ash demanded, charging after the monkey like pokémon, Pikachu running by his feet.

_Never! _Mankey took off again. He jumped up and began to swing from branch to branch. The pokémon's swinging outpaced Ash's running.

_Don't think you can get away that easily! _Ash reached for the pokéballs attached to his belt. _Go everybody! _

White light blazed and four pokémon appeared. Bulbasaur, Squirtle, Charmander, and Pidgeotto, all looking somewhat amused.

_Get my hat! _Ash shouted, pointing at the fleeing mankey as he ran.

_Sure thing, _Bulbasaur said, keeping pace with his trainer. A hail of green leaves shot forth, cutting through the forest. The whirled through the air, aiming for the branches ahead of Mankey.

_Ain't this goin to far? _Mankey asked, abandoning his treetop escape.

_Not really_, came Pidgeotto's dry voice from right above him. She swooped down, talons seeking Ash's hat. Mankey ducked and grabbed her leg as she shot past. He swung himself onto her back and used her as a platform to launch himself into the air.

The maneuver caught Ash and his group by surprise. They didn't react in time to hit Mankey as he sailed of their heads. The fighting type pokémon started running back in the direction they had come.

"There's the hat!" A female voice cried out.

"Wait, we have to do the motto!" A male voice cried out as well.

Mankey skidded to a stop, kicking up dust as another group appeared. A red haired woman, a purple haired man, a meowth, an ekans, and a koffing all struck poses.

"Prepare for trouble!" Jessie said in a smug and eager voice.

"And make it double," James chimed in, smelling a rose he had pulled from somewhere.

"To protect the world from devastation!" Mankey sprinted off to the right.

"To unite all peoples within our nation!" Team Rocket ran, floated, and slithered after him.

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!" Ash and his group caught up, running side by side with their foes.

"To extend our reach to the stars above!" Mankey looked back. He saw a stampede behind him. His eyes widened in terror and he ran even faster.

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"

_Pidgeotto, Bulbasaur! Gust Seed! _Ash told his pokémon. Pidegotto pulled herself upright and gave a mighty flap of her wings, spawning a small tornado. At the same time Bulbasaur shot several Leach Seeds in front of her. The seeds were caught in the winds and the tornado rushed forward.

Mankey herd the noise and looked back. Now a tornado was chasing him! His day just kept getting better and better.

He darted to the side and came to a small drop before the trees quit and a rocky area began. Mankey slid down. As he did so several needles flew over the spot where he had been.

"Nice Poison Sting," Jessie told Ekans. "He just got lucky."

_Squirtle, _Ash called out as the two groups came to the drop. _Wide area Water Gun! Pikachu, Thundershock! _

"Koffing, Sludge the area!" James shouted at the same time.

The stream of brown pollution crossed the high pressure stream of water near the source. Squirtle's stream widened and became more like a sprinkler or a brief bit of rain. Pikachu's Thundershock then joined the combination, setting Koffing's sludge on fire.

Mankey looked up to see droplets of flame falling down.

_Ya crazy bastards! Ya'll set fire to the rain just to get me!_ Mankey covered his head and dashed onward.

"Just leave this to the top cat!" Meowth shouted, springing forward as Koffing, Squirtle, and Pikachu quit their attacks. "I'll show you how it's done!"

_Haven't you watched any Saturday morning cartoons? _Pikachu shouted, using Agility to boost his speed. _The cute little mouse always beats the cat!_

_Hey that's right, _Ash spoke up. _They're Team Rocket. _

He paused for a moment. Then he realized something.

_Wait a minute! They're Team Rocket! Everybody get them! Don't let them near my hat!_

"Oh attacking the competition in a race," Jessie said as she saw the rest of Ash's team turn towards her and her group. "How delightfully underhanded!"

"Definitely Rocket material!" James said before Ash's group pounced on his group.

The two groups became a swirling mass of swinging limbs and vines. Both sides tumbled down the incline and onto the rocky area. Pidgeotto used some sort of wind attack, which kicked up a cloud of dirt and dust.

Mankey looked back. He saw a meowth charging with his silver claws shining in the sun, a yellow blur that was Pikachu, and a dust cloud with people and pokémon cursing from within, their limbs occasionally sticking out as they brawled and wrestled with each other.

_Good Arceus, _he cried out. _Nothin's made sense since I met ya'll! _

And then Meowth and Pikachu were upon him.

"Hold still!" Meowth shouted, swiping his claws at Mankey's arm. The fighting type jerked it away, only to flinch as Pikachu appeared right beside it. The yellow pokémon's jaws snapped shut, just missing his trainer's hat.

_Damn cat! _Pikachu shouted. _I would've had it if you hadn't done that. _

"I don't want you to have it, remember! Idiot mouse!"

_That's right, you're not helping. Fry cat! _

"Bleed mouse!"

Silver glinted and yellow light flashed as the two pokémon laid into each other around Mankey. At the same time Jessie and James dodged jets of water and vines within the dust cloud, closing in on Ash. The three humans met and used absolutely none of their fighting skills. They just grappled and, well, rough housed.

Jessie and James were having fun and Ash was acting on instinct. He didn't remember that Jessie and James could easily beat him down. He just knew they were after his hat. And Jessie and James were enjoying spending time doing something like sports with their potential new recruit. That sort of bonding activity would make him more receptive to the presentation and increase team cohesion after he joined.

Meanwhile Meowth's and Pikachu's fight also kicked up a cloud of dust. Mankey was caught in the middle for a bit, before being unceremoniously ejected, still holding on to the hat.

_Alright now, _the singed, beaten, and cut pokémon began. _I've just about had enough of this. _

He nodded to himself.

Yes, there he was, minding his own business, and then this crazy posses attacks him for no reason! Mankey put the stolen hat on his head. His eyes narrowed and he cracked his knuckles. It was time to do something about that.

"Hold still and let me cut you up!" Meowth shouted, swiping at Pikachu.

_Not on your life, _the electric type responded, jumping over the claws. _Eat electricity! _

Meowth ducked and jumped to the side the instant he saw Pikachu begin to scrunch his cheeks. The cat scratch pokémon then jumped forward, dodging the delayed Thunderbolt.

"Nice try rodent, but I'm- Ow!" Meowth was interrupted by a hand grabbing him by the scruff of the neck and picking him up and swinging him forward. At the same time a long arm reached around, grabbed Pikachu in the same way and swung him forward.

The coconut like sound of their heads colliding delighted Mankey. He threw the two stunned pokémon to the side and turned his gaze towards the tangled ball of fighting forms.

Before he could even take one step he felt a joyous energy surge within him. It raced through every part of his body, making him feel like he was glowing.

In fact he was glowing. He was evolving!

The glow consumed him, turning him into a bunch of white light shaped like a Mankey. Ash's eyes flicked blue for half an instant, and he looked away from the leg he was biting. Oh, Mankey was evolving. Meowth and Pikachu were knocked out.

Wait, what?

Light faded as the shape changed. In Mankey's place stood Primeape, Ash's hat on his head, and an angry expression on his face.

Jessie and James looked up as well. Their expressions fell. This had a lot of potential not to go well.

Before they could call out to their fighting pokémon Primeape sprang into action. He bounded into the furball and started laying into everyone. A hand that could be considered gloved hit Bulbasaur right between the eyes when the plant type turned away from Ekans. The saurian pokémon sailed off into a pile of rocks.

Empowered by rage Primeape grabbed a shocked Squirtle and Ekans. He tied the surprised snake pokémon around the water type and made a primitive flail. Squirtle withdrew into his shell on instinct. With a screech of rage he began to wail on Pidgeotto, Koffing, Jessie, James, and Ash.

"What's the word for this?" Ash asked, running away, covering his head with his arms, running away from the raging pokémon.

"Irony?" Jessie suggested, jumping over her weaponized pokémon.

"Close, but I don't think it quite fits," James replied, before getting nailed in the stomach. He grunted and was sent tumbling backwards.

"Painful definitely works," Jessie said before she was hit in the side by the Ekans-Squirtle flail. She was sent flying away.

"Yes, painful works," Ash said, gulping. He closed his eyes and waited for the hurt to come.

_Leave my trainer alone you big lout! _A high pitched war cry came from Charmander right before he attacked.

His claws slashed at Primeape, who growled as they raked his back. He slowly turned his head, giving Charmander a sidelong glare.

_You don't scare me! _Charmader shouted.

Primeape's reply didn't come in the form of words. It came in the form of a backhand that spun Charmander around.

_Okay, you're slightly scary, _Charmder admitted, turning back to the fighting type. _But I'm still going to beat you. _

This time Primeape smacked him on the side of the face with Squirtle. Charmander was spun around again.

_Will you quit doing that! _Charmander turned back to Primeape again.

Primeape attacked him with another backhand. Charmander bit it.

_I said quit that! _Charmander said. Or rather tried to, but it was impossible to understand him through his mouthful of Primeape's fist.

_Arrrgh! _Primeape cried out, trying to bring the flail down on Charmander. Charmander jumped to the side to avoid it, still keeping his teeth in Primeape's hand.

Charmander decided to communicate his displeasure with some fire. Primeape screamed in pain and threw Charmander up in the air, jerked his hand away, some drops of blood coming with. While Charmander was in flight Primeape slammed him with the flail.

_Okay, now I'm mad, _Charmander replied, picking himself up. His tail flame flared up and Charmander launched himself back at the Primeape.

Ash grimaced as Charmander used Rage. He recognized the move from his days in the wild. He might have to put Charmander back in his pokéball to stop himself from getting hurt...

Wait, there was an idea on how to get his hat back!

There were twin cries of incoherent rage as the two pokémon became berserkers. They tore into each other with surprising savagery, trying to do great harm to each other. But they were interrupted by a large rock to the back of Primeape's head.

_Take that you hat stealing jerk! _Bulbasaur said, shaking his vines like fists.

Ash took his chance.

_Get back here Charmander! _He held up a pokéball. A thin beam of red light shot out. Charmander was sucked back into his pokéball.

Ash silently hurled a pokéball at the dazed Primeape. It smacked the pokémon in the back of the head, bounced up, and turned Primeape into red light.

Both the pokéball and the hat fell to the ground. Ash ran over and grabbed his hat.

_Finally_, Ash said to himself. _Is everyone alright? _

_I've been better,_ Bulbasaur said. _Pidgeotto? _

_I'll be fine,_ the flying type replied. _Squirtle? _

The water type came out of his shell and slipped away from the unconscious Ekans.

_I'm fine, Ekans took the worst of all that, _the turle pokémon answered. _Sorry about hurting you. How are you Pikachu? _

_I'm fine, _Pikachu responded, picking himself up. _Meowth's taking a cat nap I think. We should probably get out of here before they wake up. _

_Good idea, _agreed Ash. He looked at the prone bodies of Team Rocket and their pokémon. _I wonder why they were so easy to beat this time? __  
><em>

_Probably because they weren't taking this seriously, _Bulbasaur explained. _Neither did we for that matter. Bit us in the ass. _

_Meh, all's well that ends well, _Pikachu said. _You all should get back in your pokéballs so we can get going. _

Everyone nodded and then Ash recalled them all.

He absentmindedly picked up the pokéball he threw at Primeape and added it to his belt.

Both Pikachu's and Ash's stomachs rumbled.

_Let's get back to Brock, _Ash told Pikachu.

_Good idea idiot. _

* * *

><p>"What happened to you?" Brock asked when Aaron came back to the clearing. Brock and Misty were leaning against some trees, resting after their impromptu game of tag. They were both slightly taken aback by Ash's dirtied and beaten appearance<p>

"I had to catch my hat," Aaron answered. He paused for a second. "Oh! That's right, I also caught a Primeape! "

Getting his hat back was the most important thing that happened? Brock and Misty face-palmed in unison.

"Arceus dammit Aaron."

* * *

><p>AN: Ninja edit on the final line<p>

Not my best chapter. The humor I'm somewhat decent at writing didn't really fit with this chapter so I had to rely on other forms, Agatha and Torch kinda ran away with me, and I wanted this chapter to have less action.

However the chapter serves its purpose. A nice light romp after the last couple of dark chapters, allowing the characters to get rid of some tension.

I didn't know Mankey/Primeape would have an accent until I type his first sentence.

Fic broke the two hundred thousand mark with this chapter.


	25. Chapter 25

Disclaimer: I do not own pokemon

AN: First chapter of the new year!

* * *

><p>It was another bright and sunny day in Celadon City, in the Kanto region. The day was just barely warm enough to avoid being chilly, allowing citizens one last day to walk around in their summer wear. Herds of large fluffy clouds floated over head, occasionally blocking the sunlight that glinted off of one of the many glass and steel buildings within the city.<p>

Celadon City was not as large as Saffron City (though it was certainly in better shape than Saffron City was currently) but it came close. The skyscrapers of Celadon City were spread out a bit more, giving the city a sense of more space. Its streets were wide, many times lined with greenery, and there were a surprising number of parks throughout the city.

Despite all that, Ash was having a hard time being in the city.

The crowds of people, tall buildings, the automobiles, and all the strange sounds and scents of the big city set him on edge. The boy was constantly tense. The pokéraised child's jaw was constantly clenched, and he had to struggle to stop himself from curling his hands into fists. Deep breaths failed to help him to relax.

Saffron City had been nowhere as bad as this. The city had been deserted when they first arrived and people had only just started to return to their normal activities when they had left. Without the humans that truly made a city what it was, to Ash Saffron City had just been a strange bit of geography. But here in Celadon City he was forced to deal with the full experience.

_Are you okay? _Pikachu asked, tugging on Ash's pant leg. His nose may not have been anything special among pokémon, but it was enough to sense Ash's uneasiness. And the electric type could also see the interplay of muscles that showed how tense his trainer was.

Brock silently observed Aaron. He could tell that Aaron was uncomfortable in the big city. The gym leader had noticed it when they had gone to other towns, hell they had talked about it at the beach, but it had always been a small matter. The gym leader silently swore at himself. He really should have seen this coming and taken some precautions. He started looking around for some excuse to get them out of the crowds.

Misty was busy grooming Pidgeotto as the group walked, relying on Brock and Aaron to keep her from bumping into things. Whatever Aaron had been doing yesterday when he caught the Primeape had dirtied his flying type and so Misty volunteered to clean her. She had initially started spending time with Pidgeotto so that she would get over the spearow attack, but she had also grown to like the flying type. And from the contented noises Pidgeotto was making as the red head cleaned the hard to reach places, she guessed that the pokémon liked her as well.

But, even as distracted as she was, Misty could tell that something was up with Aaron. He didn't seem to be getting over it any time soon and Pikachu was getting worried.

"Hey, Aaron, are you okay?" She asked, moving Pidgeotto to her shoulder.

"I'm a bit... what's the word..." Ash searched around for it. "Uncomfortable I think is the word. I grew up outside cities, near the wild..."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Misty asked Ash, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Not really," Aaron replied.

"We could simply take a break," Brock suggested. "Go into a shop of some sort, like that one!" He pointed to a random shop across the street. "I don't think it should be very crowded in there. And it's a perfume shop, so we might be able to find some sort of wild scent to help you."

"I don't know if it will really help, but if you guys want to go there," Aaron responded hesitantly. "I guess we can at least go there until one of you two figures out a way to the gym."

"Can't you do it? You're usually the best navigator." Misty said to the youngest human in the group as they walked to the corner and started over the crosswalk.

"Not cities," Ash admitted. "They're too weird."

"Well, I've been here before a couple of times," Brock told the boy. "Misty and I can plan the shortest route and drop you off at the gym."

"Don't you guys want to come?" Ash asked as Misty opened the door. A bell chimed as she did so.

"No, we're good," Brock said to the boy as the group filed into the perfume shop. "By the way, as long as we're in here, you might want to put Pidgeotto back in her pokéball. Pikachu's just small enough to get away with being out, but Pidgeotto..."

"Sure," Ash took out a pokéball.

_Remember to either visit a pokémon center or let Misty finish grooming me, _Pidgeotto chirped to her trainer before a beam of red light touched her.

"So what are you going to do while I'm at the gym?" Aaron asked his human friends.

"Uhh..." Misty searched for an excuse. She was saved the bother by the arrival of the store attendants.

Brock sighed. A bunch of pretty women in form hugging, one piece, pink and yellow uniforms, with moderately short skirts? Why did they have to come as a group? He wouldn't have time to learn about each of them individually, find out what made each of them smile, to compose poetry for each of them...

"Good day gentlemen, miss," a pony-tailed blonde greeted them. "Can we help you?"

"Yes please," Misty answered them. "We're looking for some natural smelling... wild smelling... perfumes." She pointed her thumb over her shoulder at Ash. "He's not very comfortable with cities and we're hoping to find something to help with that."

"I think we might have something on hand that will work," the saleswoman told the group. "It'll take me a minute or two to find."

"That's okay," Brock said to her. "We need to look at a map for a bit."

Brock put down his backpack while one of the saleswomen went to look through their inventory. He opened it up and then he and Misty started reading it. Ash looked over their shoulders.

"Ideally we want something like a path through a park," Brock thought aloud. "Something he'd been fine with taking alone."

"Yes," agreed Misty, "but if we can't get that, we want to take the back ways to avoid the crowds. Just keep Geodude out, make sure Aaron stays close and then we shouldn't have any trouble. Plus if we drop him off through the back entrance we can get away quicker-"

"What do you guys have to do?" Ash asked curiously. "I can always wait to go to the gym. We can just stay in a pokémon center or a park."

"That's okay," Brock said hurriedly. "Don't sweat it. We can just drop you off first before we uh..."

"Before we...," Misty struggled to come up with an excuse.

Ash hadn't wasted his time among humans. He had been picking up on some things.

"You two just don't want to go to the gym!" He accused his two older friends.

_Alright, I'm guessing that the gym leader's a girl and Brock got shot down by her, _Pikachu piped up. _But I've got no clue for Misty._

"Fine, you got us," Brock hissed, keeping his head low. "Don't tell Erika we're in town either. And don't ask about why we don't want to go near the gym. Let's just get your perfume, figure out our route, drop you off, and then meet outside the city."

"And if you do let slip that we're here in front of Erika," Misty growled, "I'll make it so you wish you'd never been born. Got it?"

"O-kay," Ash replied, confused by their vehemence. Ash decided to let them have a couple secrets. After all, he wasn't in any position to complain about people keeping things hidden.

The group found a route that satisfied them, and then sat down in the shop's chairs and waited.

"Miss," a purple haired saleswoman approached Misty. "As long as you're waiting, would you like to try out some of our products?"

"Why not," Misty responded, getting up. "I could stand to treat myself."

"Excellent. Right this way miss." The purple haired saleswoman led Misty away to a nearby part of the store to sample various scents.

Ash sighed and leaned back in his chair, while Brock gazed intently at the saleswomen. The pokéraised child decided to ignore his friend's idiosyncrasies and to simply enjoy his time out of the city. Sure the smells of the perfume shop could be a bit overwhelming for one's nose, but it was still better than that one July incident...

Pikachu sniffed the air.

_You humans purposefully invent new scents to give to yourselves_, the pokémon stated, shaking his head. _I don't know if that's clever or crazy. But it's things like this that make spending time with you fun._

Ash covertly gave Pikachu a slightly put off look.

_Okay, all the other humans, _the electric type amended. _But you'd probably come up with something like this as part of a crazy plan._

Ash shrugged his shoulders a little, barely noticeable to anyone not paying very close attention. He didn't really have a valid counter to that.

They waited for several more minutes. All the saleswomen that weren't occupied by other tasks were crowding around Misty, offering her different sample and suggestions. Brock grew bored and decided to browse their inventory.

From what he saw, it was a fairly high end shop, which explained the lack of other customers. He glanced at one of the prices. Misty probably wouldn't be able to afford much perfume, unless she wanted to break the bank.

Come to think of it, Misty didn't look like she had a lot of money. Why were all the saleswomen waiting on her?

Brock looked at one of the labels.

"An elegant fragrance," the former gym leader read aloud, "made with the finest pokémon extracts from the... Celadon City Gym."

Wait, this was the gym's perfume shop? Suddenly it all made sense.

It was a trap!

Brock whirled around, ideas on how to discretely warn Misty of the danger buzzing through his head. But before he could say anything the front door opened, chiming the bell.

"Sorry I'm late," said the newcomer. She was a svelte woman, with just a little bit more curves than the adjective usually implied, in a one piece green and light green one piece uniform that ended about mid-thigh. Her blue hair came down to just below the nape of her neck, and was crowned by a red head band. Her green eyes swept the store as she continued talking.

"There was a particularly difficult challenger, had to evaluate them myself," the woman continued. "Didn't have time to change into the kimono before I came over- Brock? Is that you?"

Brock laughed nervously.

"Er, yeah," he said. There would be no escape now. "Hi Erika."

The grass type gym leader beamed at him.

"I had no idea you were in town," she said, walking over and embracing the rock type trainer. "You've grown since we last met. I missed having that inch on you."

"Well, I'm not old enough to start shrinking," Brock replied, hugging her back.

"So where's Misty," Erika asked, releasing Brock and stepping back, "I heard she was travelling with you." The Celadon gym leader looked around for the red head. "Misty! There you are!"

Misty, who was in the process of trying to gracefully and covertly escape the ministrations of the saleswomen, winced. There was no hope of sneaking out now.

"Hi, Erika," Misty replied, turning around to face the gym leader. She though she saw some of the sales personal smirk at her. It was then Misty realized that they had probably planned for this. There had been no chance of escape from the moment they entered.

"Oh, you've grown as well," Erika said, enfolding Misty in a hug as well. "Soon I'll only be able to avoid being the shortest person in the room by wearing my high sandals."

"I've still got a ways to go," Misty responded, returning the hug. "You'll be safe for a bit longer."

"I just talked with your sisters on the vid-phone yesterday," Erika said, letting go of Misty. "They mentioned that they haven't heard from you in a while. You should give them a call sometime while you're here."

"Sure thing," Misty said with a slightly pained smile. "So how did you know I was traveling with Brock?"

"It's been the Kanto gym gossip for a while now," Erika informed her. "The young Pewter City gym leader and the youngest Cerulean sister traveling with a new trainer, gym members began passing around that bit of information pretty quickly."

"So you're the gym leader," Ash had gotten up at some point while Erika was greeting Brock and Misty and wandered over to join in the conversation. "You remind me of someone. Can't tell who. Do you know why these two didn't want to go to your gym?"

"You must be Aaron," Erika said, turning to face him. "Nice to meet you." She turned back to his friends. "So they wanted to avoid the gym," Erika continued. Brock and Misty looked sheepish. Erika gave them a gentle but knowing smile.

"Well, people can be pretty silly sometimes," she said, turning back to Aaron.

"I don't know," Ash returned. "I mean Brock can be a bit angry at times, and Misty makes no sense a bunch, they normally have good reasons for the stuff they do."

"Well, they don't really for this," Erika told him. "But I digress. What made you guys decide to stop by here?"

"They wanted something for this boy," one of the saleswomen spoke up, indicating Aaron, "he's uncomfortable in cities and they wanted to see if we had anything that could help."

"I see," Erika nodded. "Well, we might have something back at the gym. It looks like I'll be missing my shift today girls, carry on without me. Aaron, Brock, Misty, let's head for the gym now."

Brock and Misty grimaced. They couldn't think of a way out that didn't involve running, smashing things, digging, or riding Onix.

"Okay!" Aaron replied happily. As the gym leader she'd probably know the best routes, and he could prepare for whatever she'd have him do to earn his badge.

_I still don't know what's up with Misty and Brock, _Pikachu commented as he jumped onto Ash's head. _She seems like a nice enough lady. Is she secretly evil or something?_

Ash didn't think it was likely, for reasons he couldn't place. He was trying to figure out who she reminded him of. Something about the hair.

* * *

><p>The Celadon City gym, the gym that trained grass types, looked fittingly enough like a cross between a green house and a gloom. That was to say it that the roof looked like a gloom's petals, while most of the rest of the building were rooms made out of glass and steel.<p>

"Weird building," Ash commented.

_No weirder than any other human building really, _Pikachu rebutted. _I get that you need shelter, but why couldn't you just dig caves?_

"It's unique," Erika replied. "It fits its occupants, gives us plenty of sunlight for the plants, and room to train. And nobody's going to mistake it for anything else in this city."

"Still weird," Aaron said, opening the door. He remembered that it was good manners to hold it open for everyone else.

"Thank you," Erika said with a smile. "I see Brock's rubbing off on you?"

"Huh?"

"Don't worry," Misty spoke up. "He's just being polite. Brock hasn't corrupted him."

"Hey!" Brock protested.

"Yeah!" Ash added. "I know better than to copy him."

"Thanks for the support," muttered the rock type trainer.

Inside, all the parts of the gym Ash could see had dirt floors with a wide variety of all sorts of plants growing everywhere. He also thought he saw some grass type pokémon wandering through the foliage. Sunlight filtered in from all the windows and Ash could see large artificial lights hanging from the steel supports overhead. They looked rather odd. Ash wondered if they were those lights that produced UV rays as well, the sort he had read about once. It would make sense if they wanted to use the man-made lights to replace sunlight during times when the natural light was unavailable.

"I don't think we have a tour going on," Erika said, looking around the gym. "But I can have a couple trainers show you around the gym for a bit."

"When can I try for the Rainbow Badge?" Ash asked her.

"Later," Erika told him. "I've got some trainers I'm grooming for leadership positions, and I'm having them do some badge evaluations, under my supervision of course. In the meantime be sure to enjoy yourself here. Do you have any grass type pokémon?"

"Yes," Ash responded proudly. "Bulbasaur. He was pretty strong before I got him."

"Well you can learn a thing or two about caring for grass types here," Erika looked around for one of her trainers. "Ashley!" She shouted to one of them. "Over here! I've got a job for you!"

A redish-brown eyed girl, with blue hair like Erika's but in a small ponytail, She was wearing some sort of khaki scout uniform.

"This is my cousin Ashley," Erika informed her guests. She put a hand on Brock's shoulder. "Can you show Aaron and Misty around the gym for a while? Brock and I need to talk."

Brock grimaced again. He was hoping to slip away unnoticed, but the hand on his shoulder made that impossible. He had to admit the woman was good.

Misty was trying to think about ways of escaping before it was her turn. Maybe she could slip away during the tour.

"Sure thing Erika," Ashley replied. "Come on you two. I'll show you how we care for and train hatchlings."

"You start training them that young?" Misty raised an eyebrow. "Doesn't that have negative long-term consequences?"

"Not if you do it right," Ashley answered, leading the two away. "But it's mainly for growing grass types. You see..."

"Come on Brock," Erika gently led the teenager to a side door and into the back areas of the gym. They seemed more suited for an office rather than a gym. Brock knew that this was probably where functions like accounting were handled.

Erika led him to a plain looking door, with a label to the right side that said it was the gym leader's office. She opened the door and led him inside.

It was a plain looking room. On one end of the room there was a desk, full of neatly organized papers, and a computer with a screen saver with a black background and an oddish clumsily running about. On the other end of the room there were a couple of comfy looking chairs and a couch.

Erika sat down on the couch, crossing her legs in a ladylike manner. She patted the seat next to her.

"Sit down," she told Brock.

"No," Brock replied sullenly. "There's no need to do this, I'm fine-"

"Sit down," Erika said gently but firmly.

"No," Brock said again. "Look, this is pointless. I'm fine. I'm just going to leave now-"

"You either are going to sit down or I'll bring in my pokémon and make you sit down," Erika informed him calmly, folding her hands in her lap. "You know I will go through with it."

Brock growled. He stalked over to the chair furthest away from the couch and sat down in a huff. He folded his arms, clearly angry, and looked away from Erika.

"There. Was that so hard?" Erika asked. "What's the matter? I thought you liked making ladies happy-"

"I remember you talking about that during the last one of these little 'therapy' sessions," Brock spat. "I thought you were worried it was 'unhealthy'."

"I am still worried about that," Erika admitted. "But it doesn't seem to be a problem thus far."

"Look," Brock said, "we did enough of these after my mom died. Nothing's changed since then-"

"Not true," Erika corrected him. "Your father returned."

"Yeah, so?" Brock fidgeted. "What does that have to do with the price of miltank milk?"

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"There's nothing to say," Brock told her, still not looking at her. "He's back. He's taking care of my siblings like he should be doing, running the gym like he should be doing, and I've already forgiven him-"

"I heard that you forgave him the instant he revealed himself," Erika said, in her infuriatingly calm and gentle tone. "After your friend Aaron punched him once, you forgave him, went home to pack and say your goodbyes, and then skipped town. That doesn't seem like enough time to have a real talk with your recently returned father."

"What's there to say?" Brock said bitterly. "He wasn't there when mom died, because of him I was stuck in that gym for years, because of him I had to learn how to take care of all my siblings, but he's back now and I'm free of all that. There's nothing to talk about?"

"It sounds like you only forgave him so quickly so you could get out of town as soon as you could," Erika leaned forward. "I'm interested in how you really felt about his return."

"How should I feel? Relived, that's how." Brock was growing louder. "He's back and I'm free to pursue my own dreams now."

"Is that it?"

"Of course it is! I don't care that the selfish bum missed some of the most important moments of my life. I don't care that he missed most of little Suzi's life." Brock was almost shouting now. He had uncrossed his arms and put them on the arm rests. His fingers were digging into the fabric of the chair. "Or that he wasn't there to dry Takashi's tears when he cried for a month after mom died. I don't care that the fucker wasn't there when Hinata had pneumonia and nearly died. I don't care that he just waltzed back into my life and all the little ones were happy to see him again despite everything. I don't care that they almost didn't even notice I was leaving because he was back! This is stupid! I'm leaving."

Brock got up and stalked towards the door. He felt a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Sit down Brock." Erika said firmly. "You obviously do care-"

Brock snarled, spun around, and swiped a fist at her. But, Erika deflected the blow with an elegant looking block, took one flowing dainty little step that put her leg in between his, grabbed his arm with an attitude that almost seemed more like she was taking his arm so he could escort her somewhere, changed her stance in one smooth movement, and then threw him to the ground. The office rattled from the impact and Brock was momentarily stunned. Erika grabbed his arm, kneeled down like she was getting ready to sit formally or have tea, and then twisted it behind his back. She put just enough of her weight on him to make it difficult for him to get out of the hold.

"Brock, calm down," Erika gently told him. "Now tell me how you really feel."

Brock growled and struggled. But Erika was too good to let him escape.

"I can do this all day," Erika informed him. "Wouldn't it be easier just to be honest."

"Fine!" Brock shouted. "I hate him! If I didn't need him to get away, I would've beaten his ass and then told him never to come back to Pewter City! You know what he did? He sat around in Pewter City for Arceus knows how long because he was too scared to face me! He was too 'ashamed'! He doesn't know jack about shame!" His struggles increased. "He trapped _me _there longer because of his 'shame', he hurt my brothers and sisters more because of his '_shame_'" Brock snarled the last word, an ugly sneer on his face. "And I really hate that I was still glad to see him!"

Brock quit struggling and went limp.

"I shouldn't have been happy to see him again," he said in a tired voice. "I really shouldn't have been. I don't know why, but my first instinct when I saw him again was to hug him, not hit him."

"That's because, despite everything else, he was still your father," Erika said, releasing the adolescent and standing up. She offered the former gym leader a hand to help him up. He took it and stood up as well.

"Why? I feel like I should hate him, I do hate him, but at the same time I don't" Brock's voice was quiet. "Just why?" Tears started leaking out of his eyes.

Erika hugged him, resting his head on her shoulder. The boy began to cry in earnest, silent tears streaming down his face.

"It's okay," she whispered to him. "Just let it all out."

"Dammit," Brock whispered. "Why did you have to bring this up? I was fine-"

"The fact that you're like this now shows that you weren't," Erika whispered into his ear.

"I was fine until you brought this up," Brock voice was bitter through the tears. "Hell, other people have brought up dad and I was fine."

"It's easier to get down to business during later sessions," Erika told him. "Besides, I know you pretty well. Come on get it all out."

* * *

><p>And remember," a woman in a red leotard said to the paras, bellsprout, and bellossom in front of her, "a pretty pokémon is a strong pokémon."<p>

"Wow," Ash said, looking around. "I don't remember any of the other gyms being like this."

All over the area of the gym he could see, trainers were working with pokémon, caring for plants, and teaching groups of children. It was warm and humid inside, a change from his time outside. The mixed conversations of people and pokémon, talking about all sorts of things, filtered through the gym.

"Most other gyms provide these services," Ashley informed Aaron. "We are unique in that we start with younger children. Also, the pokémon of most other gym's don't offer the same benefits as our grass pokémon do. For example, much of the perfume from the shop was produced from materials given by our pokémon."

"Other gyms train children?" Aaron asked, tilting his head to the side.

"And we provide many of them with their first pokémon," Ashley informed him. "You started from Pallet Town, right? You didn't think that Professor Oak, despite his efforts in recent years, provides every new trainer with their first pokémon, did you?"

"No, I just never really thought about it before," Ash replied.

"Oak usually hand picks his recipients," Ashley continued, "so he knows they're good, but he prefers the 'sink or swim' method of training them. That hasn't been working so well in recent years. Ever since the Ketchum murders-"

Ash Ketchum kept his face impassive.

"-he's been giving out a lot more pokémon," Ashley. "He's trying to re-militarize the League."

"Yeah," Misty added. "I know the Cerulean gym officially took a neutral stance on the issue, but what do you think here?"

"Well, personally I used to believe it was useless, an old man trying to fix his past," Ashley began. "But after what happened at Saffron City... Well, I'm starting to think a bit differently."

Ash's stomach growled loudly. Misty and Ashley turned to look at him. He rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed.

"Heh, sorry," he offered, cheeks red.

Ashley glanced at a clock on the wall.

"Well, we've been at this for a couple hours," she said. "Why don't I show you two to the cafeteria."

"As good of an idea as that sounds," Erika's voice cut in. Ash, Ashley, and Misty turned to look at her. She and Brock were walking over.

Brock was feeling how most people did after a good cry. Light, somewhat empty in a good way, and a little tired. He had cleaned himself up after the impromptu therapy session, so there was no evidence of what he had been doing.

"I need to talk to Misty now," Erika continued. "But if you would be so good as to show Brock and Aaron to the cafeteria, I would be grateful. And after they've eaten, can you evaluate Aaron for me? Just remember to record the match."

"Certainly Erika," Ashley replied. "Come on, it's Swedish Meatball Night tonight. You'll like it."

Erika put a gentle hand on Misty's shoulder, preventing her from tying to slip away. The red head sighed. It looked like it was her turn.

* * *

><p>"It's been a while since we've seen each other, eh Misty?" Erika said, once again on the couch. Misty sat on the other end, fidgeting nervously.<p>

"Yeah, not since you last came to Cerulean City, what was it, five years ago?" Misty replied.

"I remember that time. You got in trouble for playing in the gyarados tank again."

Misty chuckled in embarrassment.

"Yeah, well, it's a good thing our gyardoses liked kids. Well, not to eat." She looked over at the door. "So, uh- what did you want to talk about?"

"Just about some things I've heard about your trip," Erika said, once more folding her hands in her lap. "Is there anything you'd like to talk about first?"

"No, I'm good." Misty looked at the door again and then at Erika. "Look, I know Brock may have had some issues for whatever reason, but I'm good, honestly. I was too young to even remember my parents, so their deaths didn't really effect me. My sisters can be a little overprotective, and reeaally annoying, but that's about all that's wrong with them."

"I see," said Erika simply.

"The journey's been a little hectic, true," Misty continued. "But nothing bad happened to me."

"Really?" One of Erika's eyebrows rose.

"Other than the spearow attack," Misty amended.

"Uh-huh."

"And the battle for the village," Misty continued.

"They're still releasing information on that," Erika said. "From what I've heard, it must have been... exciting."

"True, and there was the run in with Sabrina," Misty said, voice trailing off and her shoulders slumping as she finished the sentence.

She was quiet a moment before speaking again.

"I came close to death four times," the red head admitted. "And I killed some men."

"I see." Erika leaned forward, towards Misty. "What happened?"

"The first time I almost died was when that crazy fearow attacked me," Misty said quietly, looking down at her feet. "I don't remember too much, it happened really quickly. I just remember being hurt and there was a boy with a pikachu carrying me-"

"How you met Aaron," Erika said.

"Yeah. And I remember the point where he stood between me and the fearow during a storm." Misty continued. "I think he came close to death too. But he and Pikachu beat the fearow and got me to Viridian City."

"I know how it feels after nearly getting killed by an ambush," Erika told Misty. "Part of you is still scared, isn't it?"

"A bit," Misty confessed. "I mean it was in the area by Pallet Town for Arceus's sake. Right on Professor Oak's doorstep. It's supposed to be one of the safest areas in Kanto."

"There haven't been any problems in the area since," Erika said. "I think that flock's learned their lesson. But that doesn't really help with the fear now does it? I'm afraid there's nothing that really helps with that kind of fear but time."

"It's not so bad," Misty informed the gym leader, looking up at her. "It hasn't affected me too much. I've already gotten over any fear of flying types by spending time with Aaron's Pidgeotto."

"A nice solution," Erika nodded her head. "So what about the second time."

"It was during the battle for the village," Misty looked back to her feet. "I was outnumbered at the time and I was struggling to get up. One of the Rockets was about to finish me off before Geodude killed him."

"And during it was during that battle that you killed those men wasn't it." It wasn't a question.

"Yes." Misty sagged a bit more. "The first one I didn't mean to. I was only trying to knock him out, but he tried to dodge, and I was using my knives..."

"How did you react at the time?"

"I almost broke down," Misty said. "But I remembered my training and what Team Rocket had done, what they wanted to do. The second man I was also going to knock out, but there wasn't time. So I cut his throat. And I stabbed one of the others."

"And despite your training you still feel 'dirty', don't you." Once more what Erika said wasn't a question despite its phrasing.

"Yeah."

"Misty," Erika moved over and took the younger girl's hand. "There's nothing wrong with what you did or what you're feeling. You did what was necessary to protect innocents, and the fact that you feel bad about killing those men simply shows that you're a healthy human being."

"Will it get easier?"

"Yes and no. You probably won't come close to breaking down, but unless you change dramatically, you'll still feel bad each time you kill. But that's okay Misty. It's natural, healthy, and can stop you from making rash decisions."

"If you say so." Misty sounded skeptical. Erika put a hand on the younger girl's back.

"Trust me on this. I went through the same thing you're going through." The blue haired woman told the girl. "What about the next time you nearly died?"

"It was like the second. It was a, in retrospect, weird member of Team Rocket, part of a group that seemed to be stalking Aaron. I thought she was going to snap my neck. She was executing the perfect move to. But she just drew on my face instead. That one was the worst, I was only spared because on a whim of hers."

"And how did that one make you feel compared to the close calls?"

"I don't know," Misty whined. "Mostly scared, worse than the fight with the fearow. With the spearows they only got me because I was taken by surprise But with her, it's only because she didn't feel like killing me. And I'm probably going to have to fight her again."

"That's a bit more serious," Erika sat up a bit straighter. "What-"

"Brock's planning on calling in extra gym support and leading them into a trap next time we run into them." Misty said. "I'm just scared. I know I can pull through when the time comes, but until then..."

"You'll just have to deal with it," Erika finished. "Well, if you're prepared to face up to it again there's nothing wrong. What was the final time?"

"It was in Saffron City. We ran into Sabrina-"

"Agatha's report did mention something about your group being there." Erika sighed. "But it was very brief. What all happened?"

"First it was like something out of a zombie movie," Misty began. "All the mind controlled people surrounded us. We tried to escape on Onix, but Sarbina stopped us. She tried to kill Brock, but Onix stopped her. She then tried to attack Onix, but a mismagius that had decided to follow Aaron stopped her. Then she tried to kill that, but Psyduck stopped her that time." Misty paused and smiled at the memory. "That was cool of him I admit." Her smile vanished as she continued. "Then she decided to kill Brock and Aaron for some stupid reason, and the attack was probably going to get me by accident. Luckily that's when Agatha showed up and put us to sleep."

"Yes, Sabrina," Erika closed her eyes and sighed. "I'm going to try and catch her as she leaves Cerulean City. We really need to have a talk as well. But what are your thoughts on what happened?"

"I don't know." Misty continued to stare at her feet. "Sabrina was the gym leader I was closest to other than my sisters, and nowadays Brock, and she's- she's- she's-"

"Been violated in some of the worse ways," Erika finished. "Yes I know. And you probably want to know if there's anything you can do to help?"

"Partly." Misty was still looking down.

"I'm sorry Misty, but there's nothing you can do for her," Erika told the red haired girl. "There's not much I can do either, especially since I can't make her visit regularly. But I'll tell her that you're worried about her."

"Thank you." Misty whispered.

"Misty, honestly, I'm impressed by you." Erika said, pointing a finger on Misty's chin to gently push her head up. Misty's turquoise eyes met Erika's blue ones. "You've been through a lot for one so young and you've weathered it admirably."

"No more than Brock, or even Aaron." Misty responded, her eyes leaving Erika's.

"Brock's a gym leader and from what I gather, Aaron's... a curious case. I'll be talking to him later. But that doesn't change your accomplishments. Your sisters are very proud of you, and I'm pretty sure that I speak for most of the other gym leaders when I say that we are as well."

* * *

><p>Brock and Ash lay on the soft grass outside the gym, looking up at the stars. It was a cloudless night and the silver lights so far away shone cleanly. The night was chilly, so Brock was wearing a jacket he had stashed in his pack. Ash was fine with his current attire; he had learned to endure worse.<p>

"You know, I think that was the first time I ever lost a battle," Aaron said to Brock.

"You still did good," Brock informed him. "Plus, technically speaking, you did lose to me as well. And you were about to lose to Surge."

"I know," Ash replied. "But this is the first time I clearly lost."

"A three-two loss against an experience gym trainer is nothing to be ashamed of, even if she did start out with a new pokémon," Brock said. "In fact I think Erika is grooming her to take over the gym some day."

"Still, it's something new." Ash continued looking up at the stars. He felt small feet patter across his chest, and then his vision was obscured by Pikachu.

_Well, that was fun. I never knew scent therapy would feel so good. _The electric type flopped over and lay down on his trainer's chest.

"Hi, Pikachu," Aaron said. "Where's everyone else?"

_Over here! _Bulbasaur shouted. He and the rest of Ash's pokémon were making their way down the gentle hill to join their trainer. He still had some bruises from his fight, but he seemed better now. _He neglected to mention the bathes they have, especially for plant types._

"Just want to say, great job everybody! Even though we lost you guys were really good!" Ash told his pokémon. "Even if we don't get the badge, I'm proud of you!"

_Course he is, _Pidgeotto muttered.

_Well he should be, _Squirtle returned, _we're all pretty cool._

_But we might not be getting stronger, _Charmander said, hanging his head.

"You're all pretty strong pokémon!" Ash told them. "Now let's just relax everybody."

Ash's pokémon joined him and Brock on the hillside.

"I see that all of you are enjoying yourselves," once more Erika's voice reached their ears. Ash propped himself up, gently as not to disturb Pikachu, and looked over towards the source of the voice.

Erika and Misty were coming out to meet them. At some point Erika had changed into a mustard yellow kimono, with stars and pokéballs decorating the bottom, and very wide sleeves.

"Why'd you change?" Brock asked.

"Didn't get to wear one at the shop today." Erika replied. "Well, I've reviewed the battle you had Mr. Autumns. Come walk with me for a bit, I'd like to talk with you."

"Sure," Aaron replied, gently moving Pikachu off his chest. The pokémon gave a little disgruntled sniff as he was dislodged. He got up and Misty took his spot, scooping Pikachu up into her arms.

Erika and Ash walked into the park that surrounded the Celadon City gym.

"So why didn't Brock and Misty want to come here?" Ash asked curiously.

Erika gave him a little smile.

"I'm sort of the unofficial psychiatrist among gym leaders," she informed the boy as they walked under the stars. "Brock and Misty didn't want to come because they knew I'd probably want to have a session with them."

"So they didn't come because they wanted to avoid a check-up with the mind doctor?" Ash frowned. "That seems stupid."

"Well, visits with a psychiatrist can be uncomfortable," Erika said. "It's only natural that they'd want to avoid it. We all have topics we're uncomfortable with talking about. Take for example, the fact that you spent a long time growing up without parents."

Icy flowers bloomed within Ash, their thorns pricking his inside. He tensed up, his fight or flight response flaring, and he started looking at the different ways of escaping.

Another feeling arose within him. It wasn't true. He had never spent a long time growing up without at least one parent. The pokéraised child nearly growled.

"Don't worry," Erika noticed his reaction, even in the dark. "I won't tell anyone."

"How did you know?" Ash's voice was gruff and sullen.

"I wasn't sure until I saw your reaction just now." Ash let out a small groan when he heard her words. "Don't worry about it. I'm not going to tell anyone. You've done a fine job managing by yourself thus far. But, for future reference, you'll probably want to study how adults act and behave more from now on. It'll be a big help when you get older."

"But why did you guess that?" Ash asked the gym leader.

"It's your vocabulary, certain mannerisms, behaviors, and a hundred little signs. Things that you should have that you don't, things that you do have that you shouldn't," Erika said, looking critically at a tree branch despite the lack of light. "But one needs to both be observant and educated in psychology to know what they mean."

"I can start to see why they didn't want to come here," Ash said. Even in the dark he knew that she looked like someone. She did look a bit like her blue haired cousin Ashley...

Wait, blue haired? That was it!

"Melanie! That's who you remind me of!" Aaron exclaimed.

Erika gave him a strange look.

"Sorry," Aaron said sheepishly. "It's just that, this whole time, you seemed really familiar and I just figured out who you resemble."

"I do have a cousin named Melanie," Erika said. "But my family lost contact with her a while ago."

"Oh. Well, it's just you look a bit like her." Aaron told the gym leader. "Blue hair and some other things. She was the girl who was running the village."

"Really now," Erika mused. "I might have a stop to make between Vermilion City and Cerulean City. If it's her then I know my aunt and uncle will be delighted. But, as wonderful as that news is, that's not why I wanted to talk to you."

"Why did you want to talk to me then? And why do you do the whole mind doctor thing anyway?"

"I always was a bit of a meddler," Erika admitted. "Eventually I realized what I was doing with the other gym personal from Kanto and decided to become formally educated on the subject."

"Doesn't that take a lot of schooling?"

"Yes, but there are tests to take to see if one can skip certain parts," Erika answered. "Especially for gym leaders and other League personnel. It wasn't easy, but it was worth it. The gym leaders of a region aren't one big happy family, or even always a group of friends, but we are all close in some way. I do my best for all of them, except Giovanni. He avoids me like the plague. It's probably because of his missing son."

"You do seem a bit pushy," Ash said bluntly. "You sure you're doing good?"

"Pretty sure," Erika said. "I've got the psychiatric license, but mostly I'm their friend. Simply talking with one's friends can do wonders."

"Are you trying to get me to talk to Brock and Misty bout stuff like my parents?" Ash asked in a suspicious tone.

"In a sense. You probably have your reasons for keeping it a secret, but I'd like you to at least consider talking to them. Just think about it."

"I won't be, at least not anytime soon." Ash told her. "It's a bit complicated. So you managed to fix them in one day?"

"I can imagine that the situations would be. I just ask that you consider talking to them. And as to 'fixing' them in on day, I didn't fix them. I just got some things out in the open and helped them to deal with some things. As I said, talking with one's friends can do wonders. My psychiatric training simply helps me to make sure that I'm not making things worse." Erika looked up at the sky. "It's a nice night out. Almost makes me wish I was on my journey again. But I digress. I looked over your battle with Ashley and listened to her assessment."

"Do I get the badge?" Ash asked eagerly.

"You've got the last Marsh Badge anyone's going to get for a while. Don't you have enough badges? Aren't you just getting greedy?"

"So I did get it!"

"You're no fun, did you know that?" Erika said, crossing her arms and huffing. She reached into one of her large sleeves and took out the badge. It was shaped like a seven colored flower, fitting for the badge of the Celadon City gym. "Hear you go you little brat."

"Awesome!" Ash took the badge.

"You might want to occasionally take the simple solution," Erika advised the boy. "Bulbasaur might have lasted longer if you had simply used brute force against the bellsprout. But your pokémon are in good shape and you show a good grasp of tactics. You're shaping up to be a fine trainer Aaron Autumns."

"Thanks," Ash said. On impulse he gave her a hug, throwing his arms around her.

"Errr.." Erika was caught off guard by the hug and wasn't sure how to react. She was a good deal taller than the boy, tall enough so he wasn't touching her in any awkward places, but-

"You're a pretty cool gym leader, you know!" Ash said. "Thanks for the advice. But I've got to go tell everybody that we got the badge!"

He let go and then ran off, back towards the gym.

"Kids these days," Erika said, shaking her head and smiling. Had it been day the spots of red on her cheeks would have been easily visible.

Aaron really was a good kid.

* * *

><p>AN: Here's the second chapter I finished over break. I'd like to thank Selm for beta reading.<p>

I selected Ashley's name randomly. I facepalmed after I realized what I had done.

After I released Charmander's chapter I had a great idea about making Damion and Paul related because of their odd hair colors and ideas about pokemon training. It would have been a nice plot for later. I figured I could get some mileage out the idea here. I mean Melanie and Erika both had blue hair in the anime, both had strong connections to grass type pokemon, and their faces actually seem sort of similar. But then again I have trouble with faces, so it might just be me.

Erika's character grew out of the association of grass types=growing=gardening=nurturing.

Well this chapter was another restful chapter. The last chapter was the break from the latest dark arc filled with manic energy, this was a quieter break. Plus Brock and Misty get to take a psychological pit stop. Aaron gets a wake up call that his act can't totally fool everyone.

I'd also like to address an earlier review by ChaosRune. He mentioned that the fic was becoming less about Ash and more about Team Rocket and the gym leaders. There are two things I'd like to say about that.

First, yes, this is a bit of a problem. I didn't really notice it, but that's because I'm always thinking about what I'm going to do in the future. So I apologize for that, but I can assure you that Ash will be getting more screen time again in the future.

Secondly, this also sort of what I've had planned. Wait, let me explain!

While this fic is about Ash's journey, the way I'm writing it and the format of cannon mean that he's going to have to share the story with a large number of people. I choose which episodes to adapt based on whether or not they're necessary or if I can get a good story out of them. That's what's with my ten thousand word per chapter goal, it's my heuristic for whether or not an episode is worth adapting. But if I can get a good story out of an episode I'm going to expand on the characters introduced there. It may seem like Ash is getting shafted in terms of screen time, but he doesn't require the set up the new characters will.

So ChaosRune, Ash will return to his former relevance shortly. But, at times, he'll become temporarily less relevant depending on the arcs and the episodes. I'll make sure to watch out for it so it doesn't get too bad.

Bleh, this has been a long AN.

Criticize me! Leave a review telling me what I did wrong!


	26. Chapter 26

Disclaimer: I do not own pokémon.

* * *

><p>The days were growing colder and shorter, the breezes chiller and harsher, the clouds more numerous and darker. But the sun still shone throughout the weather of the oncoming fall. On one particularly breezy day, where the smell autumn trees wafted into the noses of the people and pokémon gathered within the trees, when the sun continually peeked out from behind the edges of clouds, where the cool air caressing bare skin raised small goosebumps, where Ash Ketchum's pokémon were training.<p>

They were in a corner of a surprisingly large park within a small, closed, and compact city. The group was in a heavily forested section. All around them leaves, most green but some starting to turn into bright yellows and oranges, rustled in the wind. It was late morning so there was no dampness to endure as they threw themselves into their training.

_Ain't dis a bit... _Pimeape searched for the word while grabbing Razor Leaves out of the air without hurting his hand. _Ridiculous? _

_Not really, _Pikachau said, standing on a large rock that Bulbasaur was lifting up and down with his vines even as he fired off leaves. The electric type fired off Thunderbolt after Thunderbolt into the center of a small ring hanging and swinging from a nearby tree branch. _The ridiculous bit comes later, when we get into the heavier training._

_Besides, _Pidgeotto said, flying a figure eight around some trees while carrying a large bag of stones. _He might still be mad at you for the second hat incident._

_I darn did apologize for dat one! _Primeape protested.

_Oh, I'm not mad at you, _Ash reassured the fighting type, walking back into the area where everyone was training, carrying a new walking stick. He paused for a moment and then continued. _Besides If I was mad then we'd be sparring. Or working on evasion._

_Den why ain't Pikachu constantly dodging our attacks? _Primeape asked.

_Because he's gotten pretty good at those exercises and because it's easier just to shrug and not care rather than stay mad all the time, _Ash informed his newest pokémon.

_It's hard to stay mad at this face for long, _Pikachu said, rubbing his red cheek pads and smiling.

_I've had practice, _Ash shot back. He grinned evilly. _Besides, if you keep losing weight..._

_Don't even joke about that idiot._

_So where were you? _Charmander asked. He was taking a break from using his fiery breath to keep a single leaf aloft while carrying a large bag of weights on his back.

_Poison Lance said Lucas came from around here, _Ash said. _I just wanted to see if I could find anything._

_Didya look for any of his family? _Squirtle asked. _That's usually the easiest way to find things man._

_No, _Ash replied. _There was some bad blood between Lucas and his family. They all belonged to some neo-fascist party or other, while he belonged to the League. They also shunned him for taking lovers of both genders. Poison Lance said that the worst moment of Lucas's life was when he had to kill some of them during the battle for Saffron City._

_What's a fascist? _Charmander asked. _And why did they fight the League?_

_Uhh... I don't know the best way to explain, _Ash scratched the back of his head. _I only read a little bit about them, the book was mainly about the early days of the League here in Kanto._

_Allow me to explain, _Bulbasaur spoke up. He cleared his throat. _A fascist is usually an ultra-nationalist who prefers an autocratic government. Usually groups and parties of them tend to form while the human world is experiencing some sort of turmoil, gaining power as humans get eager to throw away their rights, ideals, and dignity for a bit of security. No offense Ash. Anyway, fascists tend to hold rather old fashioned social views, especially concerning women and minorities, preferring an old fashioned patriarchal social structure dominated by male members of the majority ethnicity. They also tend to scapegoat some group or other, blaming all of their state's problems on that group, declaring them an enemy, and promising to lead everyone against this enemy. Nothing unites humans like blind hatred and fear._

_No offense Ash, _the plant type said to his trainer before continuing. _In the case of Kanto, and most of the rest of the country after the war, various fascist parties began to arise during the chaos. Most of their goals involved uniting the nation through force. In some towns and cities they attempted coups. The only reason they didn't come to dominate the region was because of one of their views and only one: their anti-pokémon chauvinism. They alienated themselves from trainers, particularly the young trainers and the best trainers. This meant they lacked the military force they required to be successful Most protests can be quashed by letting humans know that they will be hurt if they don't shut up and give up the dignity and independence that is the treasure of sapient beings. They eagerly devolve into mere non-sentient animals, claiming that others aren't even members of their own species in order to rob, kill, and torture them. Almost every human will succumb to this cruelty in times of extreme duress, and those that don't succumb are usually killed by those that do, because nothing upsets a human other than a human that is morally superior to them. _

_No offense Ash, _the bulb bearing saurian said again.

_How many times have you insulted my species during this little speech? _Asked the black haired trainer, giving Bulbasaur a dark look and tapping his foot.

_I wasn't counting, _Bulbasaur answered. _Eventually trainers began to push for the formation of a league and the fascist parties started to talk to each other. As the League formed the fascist parties also put together an organization: Team Rocket. They attempted to seize control of Kanto before the League could fully form by invading Saffron City. This was one of the first major battles for the Kanto League. Their victory was what inspired the formation of leagues in other regions._

_Nowadays, Team Rocket has dropped all their viewpoints except for the anti-pokémon views, and the desire to unite the country under an autocratic regime,_ Bulbasaur said, still explaining._ And, F.Y.I., the lack of social regression and the surprising social progress that occurred in Kanto and the allied regions was a reaction against the fascist views, where rights and equality were guaranteed out of spite for the defeated enemy by high level trainers rather than any human wisdom or compassion. But Ain't it fitting that relying on spite and hate is the best way to get humans to do something. No offense Ash._

_Do you have to keep insulting us humans? _The hat wearing boy asked.

_Then have them quit giving me so many reasons to, _Bulbasaur returned. _Although, I will say, that if Team Rocket ever does come to power, they're unlikely to roll back that progress. After a generation or two of the equality and openness people dropped their old hatreds... in favor of new hatreds to rally around. Other than anti-pokémon sentiments, Team Rocket will probably be able to rally people around hatred for some new social minority, or one nobody cared about before. No offense Ash._

_You really don't have a high opinion of my species, _Ash commented. _How'd you know so much about fascists anyway?_

_Orre, _Bulbasaur answered with a shrug. _That shit-hole of a region is crawling with them and worse._

One of Pikachu's ears twitched.

_As enlightening as this political conversation has been, _he called to the group, _there's a human coming so Ash has to shut up and be Aaron now._

Before Ash could respond a rather plump woman came running through the woods.

"Arnold!" She shouted, arms outstretched in an attempt to hug the boy from pallet to her bosom. Ash ducked and jumped back.

_I said Aaron, not Arnold!_

"Who are you? Who is Arnold?" He asked loudly, looking at the woman warily. His pokémon stopped training and arranged themselves around Ash in a defensive manner.

"You... you're not Arnold," the woman visibly deflated. Ash still kept his distance. He could hear the sound of more people running in the distance. They were getting closer.

"Arnold's my-" the woman began glumly before Brock and Misty burst onto the scene, pokéballs at the ready.

"Aaron, you alright?" Brock asked, he and the red haired girl quickly surveying the situation. "Is it those crazy Rockets again?"

"I don't think so," Ash called Aaron replied. "I think this woman thought I was someone else."

"I thought you were my son, Arnold," the woman said, backing away from Brock and Misty a little. "I'm sorry if I gave you a scare."

"Is he around here?" Aaron asked. "We can help you find him!" He offered, while all his pokémon rolled their eyes.

"I don't know where he is," the woman said. "Or where any of the other children are."

"Miss, you better explain the situation," Brock said. "Start from the beginning."

* * *

><p>"This is... sort of harrowing," Misty said, sitting on the concrete edge of a raised garden, looking at all the missing posters. There was a long row of children's faces, all with the captions that read "MISSING". Instructions on who to contact if they were seen were written at the bottom.<p>

"I know, but this isn't really our area of expertise," Brock said. "I'm sorry ma'am, but I'm not sure how much help we can provide."

"I understand," the woman said, on the verge of tears. "It's just that he's been missing for days now, and with all the other disappearances ..." She shook a little as her grief threatened to overwhelm her self-control.

Ash stared at her for a moment

**Brown eyes **that looked so very proud.

The woman's face smiling.

A warm embrace. A hug from a parent larger than him.

Dark shapes ripping and tearing.

An emotion that he couldn't understand. A horrible feeling that made him cry until Poison Lance started to worry that he would die of dehydration.

Poison Lance's worried eyes.

A hug from a parent larger than himself.

Horrible screaming. A man's last words** to the pokémon carrying his son.**

"We'll do what we can!" Aaron told the woman. "Don't worry, we'll find your son!"

"Will you? Thank you so very much," the woman said, clasping his hands while thanking him profusely.

Brock and Misty sighed.

"Might as well as long as we're here," Misty said with a shrug.

"Well that's always good to hear," a somewhat familiar voice cut in. Four human heads and one Pikachu head turned to look at the source. It was an Officer Jenny, carrying a rolled up poster. "You three can help me then."

Misty rolled her eyes and Ash curiously watched Brock, waiting for him to start gushing poetry or something. But Brock failed to display his usual behavior.

"Yes ma'am. I'm Brock, this is Misty, and this is Aaron. As he said, we'll help in any way we can." The former gym leader said to the police woman.

"That's good to hear," Jenny replied. "I'm Jenny, as you may have guessed. Let me just put up this poster. By the way, do you know anything about psychic pokémon?"

"Defensive measures only," Brock told her.

"A little," Misty answered, having done a bit of research after unwillingly getting Psyduck. Even if she didn't want the pokémon (even if he was a little cool) she would do her best to take care of it.

"Attacks or biology?" Jenny probed.

"A bit of both." Misty returned. "What does that have to do-"

"Good," Jenny said nodding as she put up the poster. "All right you three, we'll be going to the HopHopHop pokémon center now. I'll explain everything there."

Ash blinked.

"Is that the name of this town?" He asked. "How-"

"Don't ask," Jenny said quickly. "Trust me on this one."

They set off, walking towards the officer's motorcycle.

"So why didn't you fawn over her like usual?" Misty half hissed half whispered to Brock.

"Look at her left hand," Brock responded in kind. Ash and Misty did so. There was a purple stoned wedding band on her ring finger. "She's married, it wouldn't be right for me to act in that manner."

"Really? So you do have some manners?" Misty smirked. "But then again..."

"Shut up you," Brock growled quietly to the red head. "You'll be teaching Aaron bad habits if you keep this up."

* * *

><p>"So why did you ask if we knew anything about psychic pokémon?" Aaron asked as they went into one of the back rooms of the pokémon center.<p>

"That's because we think that one of them is behind this," another somewhat familiar voice said from the other side of the room. It was a Nurse Joy tending to a magikarp on a green counter. Ash glanced around the room.

There was a sleeping charmander, a dropping oddish, and a collapsed cuebone. Several other pokémon lay draped on counters, some with medical equipment hooked up to them, beeping monitors, IV drips, pumps, chambers, and other things. Others simply napped.

Ash yawned.

"Please don't do that, you'll just make things worse," Joy said with a bitter chuckle. "As you can see something is sapping the energy of these pokémon. I think it might be a psychic pokémon of some sort, but I can't tell. I'm familiar with their biology, but not the nature of their attacks. Normally I'd ask for assistance from the Saffron City gym but..."

There was no need to finish the sentence. All of Kanto knew what had happened in Saffron City.

"So I've been waiting for a trainer with some experience with psychic pokémon to pass through," Joy continued. "I have a couple of theories I need to run past them, and maybe identify the source of the problem."

Ash yawned.

Pikachu yawned.

_Quit it idiot, you're making me tired, _the yellow pokémon said sleepily.

"Aaron, that's really rude," Misty chided her friend.

"Sorry, don't know what's coming over me," Aaron told her. "I just feel tired. I'll feel better in a bit."

Brock frowned. Maybe he should scale back the training regimen a bit.

Joy gave him a worried look.

"Anyway, as you can see, this is getting really bad," the nurse said gesturing with a hand that had a purple stoned ring on one finger. She sounded really upset. Then again it was only natural for a medical professional to be upset in that kind of situation. "This charmander's flame could go out at almost any second! And the chanseys are having trouble carrying out their duties." Jenny put a comforting hand on the nurse's shoulder.

"And you want to know if it's possible for a psychic pokémon to be behind this," Brock stroked his chin as he thought. "Team Rocket shouldn't have had the resources to duplicate what they stole from Sliph Co, so I doubt they're behind this. Or at least doing the same thing as they did in Saffron..."

"It's more like a large scale, long term Hypnosis," Misty observed. "But the attack is usually calibrated to put pokémon to sleep... I don't know what it would do to humans. Especially children. It would seem that Brock and I are immune, but I'm starting to worry about Aaron here."

"I'm fine," Ash replied, a little annoyed. He suppressed a yawn as he talked.

"So you think all the kids just feel asleep somewhere?" Jenny inquired. She shook her head. "If that was the case we would have found some and heard about a sleeping epidemic-"

"I agree," Misty said. "But I'd also like to point out that Aaron is a little older than all of the missing kids. He might only be partially affected. We don't know what it's doing to the children."

Brock, Jenny, and Joy, made sure not to comment that she was a child as well.

"So what do we do?" Ash asked. He clenched his fist and forced himself not to yawn. Pikachu however…

_Oh, great, _the electric type said groggily. _Wake me up when it's time to do something. Where's Mismagius when you need... her..._

Pikachu slumped over and fell off Ash's head. The trainer felt a flash of cold panic go through him and caught his best friend on instinct.

"Close one," Brock said. "I think I have an idea."

"What?" Jenny and Joy asked in unison.

"Is there a Sliph Co. office in the city?" Brock asked. Jenny nodded. "Then we'll send them a request for any technology that can sense psychic activity."

"And you think that they'll help us why?" Jenny asked.

"Two reasons. First off, I'm a former gym leader-"

"So you're that Brock then," Joy interrupted. "So then you're the younger sister of the Sensational Sisters of Cerulean City?" She asked Misty.

"Yes," Misty said, eyes close, one twitching, and teeth grinding together behind her lips.

"Anyway," Brock continued. "I still have some clout. And they need a PR boost after what happened. They'll rush something over here as soon as possible, or they might have to deal with more investigation. Most of Kanto is looking for a scapegoat to hate alongside Team Rocket right now after all and they'd make a good one."

"Right," Jenny said nodding. "I'll get on the vidphone with them right away. But even if they do cooperate, the hardware won't get here for another day at least."

"That's too bad, but we can take a day off I guess," Brock said. "It would give us a chance to monitor Aaron's condition. Officer, could you see if there are any cases like Aaron? It would help to know if he's an anomaly or not."

"I'll get right on it," the woman from the police clan replied.

"Nurse Joy," Brock said, turning to the red haired medical professional. "Do you mind if I try and help out? I know a bit about pokémon care."

"Any help would be appreciated," Joy replied gratefully. "I'll put you to work in a second. I think Andrew said he needed some help treating a couple of recently caught pokémon."

"I guess I'll just lay about then," Misty said. "Aaron, stick with me please. Someone might need to keep an eye on you."

"I'm fine," Aaron returned crankily. He would have crossed his arms, but they were full of sleeping Pikachu.

* * *

><p>"Really, they're giving us this food for free," Misty told Aaron. "You can afford to take a little more."<p>

"Sorry, it's just a habit," Ash said, serving himself a bit more from the self-serve cafeteria. The small pile of food grew into a modest pile of food.

"Hey guys!" The two turned to Brock. His clothed looked wrinkled and he seemed a bit haggard. He had obviously been busy.

"They let me off for dinner," he explained before they could ask. "Remember to save me a seat please."

Ash and Misty sat down at a booth and started eating. After a few minutes Brock joined them.

"So what have you two been up to? And where's Pikachu?" Brock asked the other two.

"Nothing much and he's in a room we claimed," Misty told him. "Just reminded Aaron to call Professor Oak."

"He wanted to know if something happened to us in Saffron City," Ash informed the elder boy. "Since I forgot to call him while I was there. I lied and told him nothing happened."

"That's okay," Brock told the younger boy. "He and Agatha are pretty close, so she'll probably tell him..."

"Then wouldn't he get mad at me?" Aaron asked, nervousness cutting through sleepiness that seemed to be smothering him. Oak was the former pokémon Champion, with the word Champion taking precedence over the word former.

"Not if she explains it all," Brock said. "Did you know they used to date?"

"Yeah, but that must have been ages ago," Misty replied.

Brock shrugged.

"They still keep in touch. So what else happened?"

"Nothing," Ash said grumpily. He had large dark bags under his golden brown eyes, something he hadn't had earlier in the day. "Misty wouldn't let me go train or find a trainer to battle."

"I have to keep an eye on you," Misty responded. "And it would be bad for you to fall asleep in the middle of one of those activities."

"I'm not tired," Ash crossed his arms.

"Yeah, of course," Misty rolled her eyes, "I didn't notice you trying not to yawn all those times."

"Everyone yawns," Ash shot back.

"And not everyone is being affected by psychic activity," Misty countered.

"You could have found something else to do," Brock said. "As long as you were using the video phone you could have tried to call your family."

"Come to think of it, I've never seen you call your parents, or try to leave a message" Misty said. "You really should call them sometime, they would probably love to hear from you."

"You really should call them," Brock added, frowning.

They didn't get reception in the middle of the forest.

"Hey! When was the last time either of you called your folks!" Aaron said.

Brock and Misty grimaced and squirmed.

"Right," Ash nodded to himself. "So anyway-"

"You know, I think I will call them after dinner," Misty said quietly, thinking back to her talk with Erika.

"I'll pass," Brock said a little bitterly.

They ate the rest of their dinner in silence.

* * *

><p>For once, while sleeping in a city, Ash didn't have a nightmare. Maybe it was the psychic activity, maybe it was the events of the day, or maybe he just got lucky for once. Pikachu curled up on his chest the boy didn't dream of dark shapes chasing him.<p>

Instead he dreamed of a house in the middle of a forest. He and Pikachu, who seemed strangely larger, were sitting at a plastic table in small plastic chairs. They were busy stuffing their faces. Then a mareep came, pouncing on them. They wrestled playfully, everyone laughing. He could understand Pikachu, but not the Mareep.

Suddenly it was night. Mareep and Pikach were curled up around him, staring up at the stars. Ash was lying on two pairs of human legs. He looked back and saw a black haired man and a brown haired woman. They smiled at him.

He looked down and saw Poison Lance standing next to them, also smiling at him.

Ash looked back at the night sky. The stars started to dance, changing colors and swirling together. Soft multi-colored light covered the heavens. Ash smiled and closed his eyes within the dream.

He didn't dream any more that night.

* * *

><p>"We need to find that psychic pokémon before it does something weird to Ash!" James declared, pounding the bottom of his fist into his upraised palm. They had listened in on the twerp's latest call to Professor Oak and had decided that the situation necessitated their intervention.<p>

The Rockets were sitting on an empty skyscraper roof, making plans under the moon. Ekans was draped over Jessie's shoulders, James was using Koffing as a pillow, and Meowth was stretched out on a ledge. The cat scratch pokémon yawned.

"It's starting to be hard to tell if I'm just tired or if the psychic activity is getting to me," the normal type said. "Tomorrow's going to be fun. Can either of you think of a way to track that pokémon?"

"We could steal from the Sliph equipment that the twerp should be getting tomorrow," Jessie suggested.

"No, we should let them do their own pursuit," James interjected. "But we can steal the blueprints of whatever they're sending. I've still got a couple of worms in Sliph's system from our last job involving them. I should be able to download the blueprints and then steal the components we need to make it tonight."

"We can do that," Jessie said, nodding. "We'll have to start a bit later in the day so we can get some sleep, but it's still a good plan."

"I'll get started right now," James pulled out a handheld technical device.

"Wake me up after you're done humiliating the tech company," Meowth yawned before succumbing to sleep.

* * *

><p>"Aaron, can you hear me? Can you get up?" Aaron groaned as Misty's voice dragged him away from the blissful oblivion of sleep. "Yes or no Aaron."<p>

"If he can't hear you, then how is he supposed to say no?" This time it was Brock's voice.

"It's to get him to respond with words dummy. Yes or no Aaron."

"Yes, I'm up," Ash groaned. He opened his eyes and sat up. "Couldn't you have let me sleep a few more minutes."

"Aaron, it's eleven thirty A.M," Brock said. "You've been asleep for over twelve hours."

"Merh," Ash mumbled. His body was telling him that it was earlier than that. Much to early to be up. He yawned loudly, stretching arms that felt heavier than normal, heavy enough that he should just quit moving them and go back to bed. "Just let me take a shower and grab a bite to eat."

"Alright, but hurry up," Misty told him. "We don't want to keep Officer Jenny waiting."

"Fine. Wake up buddy." Ash gently shook Pikachu. The sleeping pokémon didn't even stir. Ash sighed. He knew how to wake Pikachu up and he knew it would hurt.

He picked up the yellow pokémon and headed into the bathroom adjacent to the room they had slept in.

"Are you sure he should come today?" Officer Jenny asked from the doorway. "The situation might get dangerous you know."

"He can help us verify that the machine from Silph Co. is accurate," Brock informed her. "If his condition worsens based on our movements then we'll probably be getting closer."

"If it gets too bad we'll have to drop him off back here," Misty added as the sound of running water started in the bathroom. "But until then it's more beneficial to let him come with than to try and prevent him."

"Well, you two are the gym leaders and you know him better than me," Jenny started. She was interrupted by twin screams and electric buzzing from the bathroom. The three humans' expressions turned horrified and they rushed to the bathroom.

Aaron, still in his sleep-ware, singed and smoking in places, wobbly walked out, carrying an awake, aware, and wet Pikachu. The yellow pokémon was glaring at his trainer.

"I think I'm plenty awake now," he told the group. "Here, someone watch Pikachu, make sure that he doesn't fall asleep again."

Misty took the electric type from him. Pikachu nuzzled into her embrace, still glaring at Ash.

"You know, most people just have some coffee," she said to Ash.

"Coffee's bad for kids," Aaron responded.

"And this is a much healthier solution," said Misty, rolling her eyes as Ash went back into the bathroom.

* * *

><p>It was a bit of a struggle for both Ash and Pikachu to stay awake. They had to resort to Ash pinching Pikachu occasionally and Pikachu gently shocking Ash in return. On the bright side they were more alert than usual. On the less bright, possibly abysmally dark side, they were both very grumpy.<p>

_Stupid psychic pokémon, _Pikachu growled. _When I get my paws on it I'll give it an electrocution that it'll never forget._

Ash kept his plans for vengeance to himself. Partially because talking with Pikachu could arose suspicion and partially because his vocal chords might have been paralyzed by the repeated shocks.

Jenny looked at the handheld device that Sliph Co. had sent. The company had been rather helpful about the whole affair; Brock hadn't needed to call in any favors to get them to co-operate. It may have been out of fear of backlash, or it may have been them simply being helpful. Whatever the case, the company had sent a psychic sensor. Jenny was using it to pick up the various energy waves.

"I never knew there was so much background psychic energy," she muttered as she turned some knobs.

"Everyone produces some mental energy," Misty told the police woman. "Only psychics can control it. We should be looking for a relatively strong and coherent wave. Can you isolate one?"

"I'm working on it," growled the blue haired woman. "Do either of you three know anything about technology?"

"Not really," Ash told her. Oh, hey! His vocal chords weren't paralyzed after all.

"Maybe," Misty said. "Brock get over here and help me make sense of this."

_Pinch me, _Pikachu said, giving Ash a quick shock. He winced as Ash eagerly complied. _This really sucks. But why are you affected and not Misty or Brock? The age difference isn't that much between you and Misty-_

_But it may be enough_, Ash replied. _Or it might be because I think differently than them._

_What do you mean? Oh, right. That's also probably why you're having an easier time fighting it off than the pokémon. You don't think quite like them either._

_You know if it wasn't for the fact I enjoy being part of both worlds, that statement would bother me a lot, _Ash said to Pikachu. _But enough for now, it looks like they're finished messing around._

"I think we've got something," Jenny said. "At least enough to start looking. This way."

The group weaved through the foot traffic. They took several turns that they had to immediately undo as indicated by the device. They met with dead end alleys, empty skyscraper rooftops, and one incident with a floor haunted by ghost pokémon.

Ash grew more and more used to Pikachu's shocks as time passed. They woke him up less and less. He had to struggle with the strange weariness. He felt like his head was full of thick, nearly solid fog, that he had to fight to think through, like he was swimming through sand. His eyelids kept falling and he couldn't keep track of conversations. But he put on his game face and kept this from the others.

"I think this could be it," Jenny said watching the waves fluctuate on her device.

"That's what you said the last two times," Misty said. "What makes you think you've got it this time."

"Well, this time I've been able to isolate the signal, and also, Pikachu just feel asleep."

Brock and Misty turned to Ash. True enough Pikachu had slumped over was lying stomach down on the top of Ash's hat and was currently snoring. His short limbs didn't intrude on Aaron's peripheral vision, which was why he hadn't noticed Pikachu fall asleep. Ash gently took the electric type from his head and cradled him in the arm not holding his walking stick/staff.

"Come on," Jenny told the group. "Let's try and get this settled."

Inside the building Ash's weariness grew worse. It was like his limbs had been encased in lead, like a team of machamps was trying to pull down his eyes. Thinking was like trying to swim through stone. It was a form of agony to be up and about in his current state, a vague and insubstantial pain plagued every part of his body.

They filed into the elevator and started heading upwards, to the floor halfway from the top. Ash ended up putting nearly all of his weight on the wall of the room. It grew worse and worse as they went up.

"Aaron! Aaron!" He heard someone calling his name as the darkness closed in.

Why fight it? Just a quick nap. He would be fine, he would wake up in the pokémon center. Brock and Misty could get him out of town at any time. There was no reason he needed to suffer through this.

**Eyes filling with tears, **a brown haired woman's face covered by an expression of ugly and total terror.

The pain in the eyes of Arnold's mother.

The only time Poison Lance had ever panicked, **desperately searching for him.**

Even if he would survive, the pain that the parents of the city were going through would persist. There was no guarantee that he was absolutely necessary to save their children, but at the same time, could he live with himself if he could have done something and didn't because he was asleep?

No! Ash gritted his teeth. He pushed off from the wall forcing his body to move, opening his eyes to look at the floor, forcing the lids to lift. Due to the angle nobody saw them flicker blue.

A rush of emotions welled up in the pokéraised boy, flooding through his body. The tiredness, the awful weariness was little more than a sand castle under their onslaught. Renewed energy filled Ash as he threw off the psychic tampering.

"I'm fine," Ash said. He took a deep breath, stood up, and looked them straight ahead. "Really I'm fine. Let's do this."

"If you're sure," Misty said, giving him a skeptical look.

"What just happened?" Jenny whispered to Brock.

"Under certain conditions, telepathic attacks can be fought off with willpower alone," Brock whispered back. "Usually it takes a bit of training, but you can get lucky sometimes."

Jenny looked back at the device.

"Strength's still increasing, I think it's near or at the top," she told the group, pressing a floor button. "Aaron, if you start feeling sleepy again-"

"I won't," he said flatly.

Several minutes later, when the elevator, after a couple of stops for other passengers, reached the top floor, Aaron hadn't felt the sensation again. The group filed out of the elevator and up a small staircase to the roof. Outside was a garden rooftop, ringed by small conifers, with two hedge mazes and a fountain. On the side opposite the group was a small mansion.

"I think it might be coming from there," Jenny said, looking at the device. "Let's go check it out."

"I swear if this turns out to be some sort of megalomanic behind this, with some sort of grand scheme, I will kill something," Brock muttered, taking out Onix's pokéball and holding it at the ready.

Inside they were surprised to see something resembling a society ball. Well-dressed men and woman mingled about, drinking from champagne glasses and chatting. There seemed to be an abundance of monocles and pearls.

"Oh, hello there," said one of the men near the entrance in a jovial manner, "I say, is there anything we can do to help you fine folks?"

"Uh..." Misty began, a bit shocked by the interior of the mansion.

"We're tracking psychic activity that we believe may be linked to the disappearance of several minors and is causing problems with pokémon in the area," Jenny said loudly, addressing the room at large. "If anyone has any knowledge regarding psychic activity in the area, your cooperation would be appreciated!"

There was a murmuring among the high class crowd. One of the monocled and top hat wearing men stepped forward.

"I think we may be able to help you with that," he told the investigators.

* * *

><p>"You see," the man said, leading the investigators into a relatively small dining room. Several of his compatriots followed as well. "This is the Pokémon Lover's Club. We were founded to show our appreciation for all they do for us. After the recent mess at Saffron City, we took in a couple of the gym pokémon that didn't want to stay there."<p>

Inside the room a hypno, two drowzees, a couple of abras, and a kadabra were lounging around. To the trainer's eyes they all seemed to be moping.

"Some of our members have been having sleeping troubles lately," the man said somewhat apologetically. "So we turned to them for help. We've been having them hypnotize the affected members."

"This is the source of the waves," Jenny said. She looked quizzically at the device. "But they aren't hypnotizing anyone at the moment? Why would there still be waves?"

"There are several explanations," Misty said. "If they've been doing it for a long time in the same location the ripples can build up. They could change the nature of the ambient energy in the room. They could be practicing right now. Or there's the fact that they've been through a traumatic event recently. That kind of stress can make it difficult to predict psychic behavior."

_What's happening? _Asked the hypno. _What do you mean there are waves coming from here?_

Ash bit his tongue to stop himself from responding.

"And remember what happened with Aaron," Brock reminded the two females. "This is definitely the place." He frowned. "But we need a way to be sure that this is related to both the missing children and pokémon."

"Everyone, may I have your attention!" the gentleman shouted to the club's pokémon. "We would like to aide this fine policewoman in an ongoing investigation. If you would cease all psychic activity for a little bit, it would be greatly appreciated."

_Fine, _the hypno said glumly. _Guys, pull everything back. Abra, it's just like hiding training._

Cradled in Ash's arm Pikachu started to stir.

_Is something interesting happening? _He asked groggily, opening one black eye. It narrowed angrily at what it saw. _Psychic pokémon? Are these the bastards responsible for the sleeping sickness? I've finally got my paws on you, you bastards! _His cheeks scrunched up as he prepared to shock the other pokémon.

"Stop that," Ash scolded his pokémon, turning around so Pikachu was facing the other way. Pikachu scrambled up his trainer to glare at them, cheeks sparking.

"I guess that settles the question about this being the source of the sleeping problem," Misty said.

"But we still don't know how it's related to the missing children," Jenny said. "Misty, you're the one with the most knowledge on psychic phenomenon."

"I don't know enough to be of much use here," the red haired gym trainer admitted. "If we had a kid, we could test out the effects, but..."

"We're not using me unless we can't think of anything better," Ash declared. He was determined to help, but he wanted to see if there were any better options before offering himself up as a test subject. "I don't want to go through that again unless there's no choice."

"We could try it on me," Brock suggested. "We'd have to concentrate the activity on me-"

"It wouldn't work," Misty told him. "You're too old. It has a better chance of working on me."

"I'm afraid I can't allow that," Jenny said, stepping between them and the psychic pokémon. "We don't know the risks-"

"I'm afraid you will," Brock told her. "I may be a former gym leader, but my League ranking has only been downgraded to P-7. I'll pull rank if I have to."

"Ah, but you'll have to fill out the paperwork and deliver it to the superintendent first," Jenny returned smugly. "And I'm not about to let anyone risk themselves right now. We'll call in some more resources and do this by the book."

"Ah, yes, but the children have been missing for a couple days now," Brock told her, stepping up to challenge her. "In my judgment it's a state of emergency and I can fill out the paperwork later. There'll be a review, but by then it will be too late."

"No, I'll- according to- regulation-" Jenny stopped, thought for a moment, and then growled. "Fine, you got me legally. But I'm not letting her risk herself-"

"Alright," Misty said to the psychic pokémon, having snuck around Officer Jenny while she and Brock were arguing. "Can you guys do me a favor? I need you to use Hypnosis, but not on anyone. Just fire it near me, so we can see if I'll be affected."

_Odd request, but fine, _Hypno said with a shrug, perking up a little. _Showtime everyone._

All of the psychic pokémon focused on the area around her. Hypno began to swing his hypnotic aid, as the others wiggled their fingers, or put their fore-paws to the sides of their heads.

Jenny glared at Brock, then at Misty, and then at Ash.

"Hey I didn't have anything to do with this!" the pokéraised child protested.

"You could have warned me that she was sneaking past," Jenny told him, before turning her attention to Misty.

Misty stood there for a few seconds as the psychic energy built up around her. Aaron began to back away, not wanting to be caught in the area of effect. From what he knew about psychic powers from Pocket Watch, which actually was not that much, there was no chance of anything harmful and permanent happening to Misty. Most likely she'd have to deal with the weariness. Which was fine with Ash. Misty could go back to the pokémon center and sleep while he helped to find a resolution to the problem.

After a couple seconds Misty fell to her knees.

"Are you okay Misty?" Brock asked, both he and Officer Jenny moving to her sides.

"Seel!" Was the only reply she gave. She awkwardly clapped her hands together, holding them like flippers. "Seel. Seel."

That hadn't been anything anyone had been expecting.

"Is she saying anything Pikachu?" Ash asked his pokémon, already knowing the answer.

_You know it's gibberish as well as I do idiot, _the yellow pokémon answered, shaking his head.

"Does she think she's a seel?" Brock asked, tilting his head in puzzlement. "How in the name of Arceus does that work?"

"I don't know," Jenny said, "but we've got a lead now. We'll need to search the park and the wild area around the city-"

She was interrupted by Misty barreling past, moving surprisingly fast for a human imitating a seel.

"Chase!" Aaron cried out, running after her. Jenny, Brock, and the gentleman followed.

* * *

><p>Misty led them through town, Jenny shouting at crowds to get out of the way as they ran. Misty was headed for the park by the looks of things.<p>

"Why don't we just knock her out?" Jenny asked.

"There's a small chance that she'll lead us to the kids," Brock answered. "The psychic activity might be guiding them all to the same place."

"And when do we give up on that idea," the officer asked the gym leader.

"When I say so," Brock responded, jumping over a bush that marked the border of the park.

They continued to chase Misty through the greenery, into an area of the large park that was deserted by humans, until-

_Not another one! _Ash heard a pokémon wail. A venomoth swooped down, over Misty, trailing a glittering dust behind him. The dust settled over Misty. She yawned and then fell over, asleep.

"What-" Jenny began, before a purple glow surrounded Misty and lifted her up.

"After the Misty-napper!" Ash shouted. They dashed through the plants and came out into a small open area before a pond.

There were sleeping children everywhere. There was a venonat carrying a sphere of water via telekinesis, letting some dribble into one of the mouths of the sleeping children. He looked up when the venomouth came nearer.

_Oh, Arceus, another one dad- Hey, wait adults! _The purple ground bound pokémon cried out, pointing to Ash, Brock, and Jenny.

_Cripes! _The venomouth spun around, depositing Misty on the ground. _I completely missed them! But now we don't have to worry anymore._

"Are these all the missing children?" Brock asked looking at the rows of sleeping figures and the venonat giving them water.

"I think so," Jenny answered, cautiously looking at both the children and the pokémon. "But I've got no clue what's going on with that venomoth. Get ready to defend yourself if it attacks-"

"Hi! I'm Aaron, and this is Pikachu." Ash said, smiling and stepping forward, addressing the poison type. "Nice to meet you!"

_Nice to meet you, _the venomoth replied. _I'm venomoth._

"Pikachu, could you ask Venomoth what's going on here?" Ash requested of his pokémon.

"Like what we did with Charmander, using Pikachu as an interpreter, good idea," Brock said.

_Also utterly pointless, _Pikachu muttered grumpily. _If those two would just go away... now there's an idea._

_What's an idea? _The venomoth inquired.

_Nothing big. Give me a second. _Pikachu ran over to Jenny and Brock, making shoeing motions with his forepaws.

"I take it that he doesn't want to talk with us nearby?" Brock asked. Pikachu crossed his arms and nodded. Brock sighed. "Fine, we'll go away for a little while. But if we hear any commotion..."

"Kay," Ash replied.

"Wait a minute-" Jenny began, but Brock put a hand on her shoulder and shook his head.

"If we want answers this might be the best way to get them," the former gym leader told the officer. "We'll be nearby in case anything goes wrong, and I'll have Zubat listen in on them to make sure the situation is under control."

Jenny grumbled, but eventually complied. The two of them left the area.

_Alright, now we can drop the charade... or in this case simply not do charades, _Pikachu said after the other awake humans had left.

_Seems a bit rude, _Ash commented.

_Wait, did I just hear that correctly? _Venomoth asked. _Were you just speaking properly?_

_Pokéraised, _Ash responded.

_But you were talking with other humans as well, _Venomoth protested.

_So?_

_Pokéraised don't do that!_

_Well, this one does, _Ash replied. _So what's the story with these kids?_

_I don't know, _the venomoth actually wailed. _I'm just taking care of my son here, Venonat-_

_Hello, _Venonat said to Ash.

_-when all of the sudden these human children just run in here, trying to act like they're pokémon. A couple of them, those who thought they were water types, nearly drowned. They couldn't understand me, and I couldn't get them to behave, so I used Sleep Powder on them._

_Why?_

_I didn't want them to die! _Venomoth answered. _I mean me and my kid have a pretty good life here in the middle of the city. There aren't any predators around and if we get sick we can always stop by the pokémon center. I didn't want humans kids to die. But they kept on coming and coming, and no adults came by. We had to start scavenging for extra food just to feed them-_

_Why didn't you just try to fetch a human adult? _Ash asked.

_Huh?_

_Instead of waiting for an adult to come, you could have gone and gotten an adult instead,_ Ash told the bug type. _Why didn't you?_

_The human children needed feeding,_ the venmoth replied. _And a new kid could have come at any time._

_Then why not have Venonat watch over them, and leave just after feeding them?_ Ash continued.

_Uh... that never occurred to me..._

_That's because you're a wild pokémon, _Pikachu said. _Ash, your suggestions involved long term thinking. He's a wild pokémon, he doesn't have that._

_Oh. Yeah, I forgot about that,_ Ash replied, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. He bowed. _Well I think that's all we need to know. Thank you for your efforts in keeping these kids alive. Their behavior was caused by some side effects of a psychic sleep treatment._

_You're welcome, _Venomoth replied. _It wasn't too much trouble._

_I guess that answers the relevant questions, _Ash said. _Might as well get the others back here now. _"Hey guys, you can come back now!"

A little while later, Brock and Jenny came back, Zubat fluttering about Brock's head.

"So what's the story?" Jenny asked Aaron.

"The kids thought they were pokémon. Venomoth didn't want the kids to die, so he knocked them out," Ash answered. "He and Venonat have been making sure they're well."

"Why?" Jenny inquired.

"He... likes humans I guess," Ash answered truthfully, throwing in false uncertainty. "I can't tell. But he took care of the kids. Isn't that good?"

"I guess," Jenny replied. She bowed to Venomoth. "Thank you very much for caring for these children," she said to the pokémon.

_Er-uh, _Venomoth looked flustered. _You're welcome?_

Jenny then turned to Brock.

"So what do we do with the kids?" She asked the rock type trainer.

"Isn't it obvious?" Brock responded. "We go back to the start of this fiasco."

* * *

><p>"Do we even need to do anything?" James asked his partners in crime, looking through a pair of binoculars as various police officers and the awake twerps brought up groups of children to the rooftop mansion. They were on a skyscraper diagonal from the one that had the mansion.<p>

"Naw," Jessie replied. "We only wanted to stop the psychic pokémon from doing anything weird to the twerp. Now that he's taken care of it we can relax."

"We could always try to snatch him up now," James said.

"With all those officers supporting that gym leader?" Jessie snorted. "No chance in the Reverse World."

"Meowth, that's right!" the cat scratch pokémon added.

"Could you please translate? It's rude to use a foreign language in front of individuals who don't speak it," James requested, somewhat haughtily.

"Not yet," Meowth replied.

"You say that every time," James whined. "Would it really hurt so much to answer?"

"Ya never know," Meowth told him. "But we should probably leave this place before one of the police or the twerp's pokémon catches hint of our presence."

"Good idea," Jessie said. Ten seconds later there was no sign of the Rockets.

* * *

><p>"Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you," the plump mother exclaimed, clutching Ash to her bosom and spinning him around. "If it weren't for you- I don't even want to think about it."<p>

"Mom," Arnold said, pulling on her skirt. "I think he needs air."

"Right," his mother replied, letting Ash go. Ash, in turn, gasped for sweet sweet oxygen. There was a warm feeling in his chest, and despite his bodily needs, he felt an irresistible urge to smile. There was just something about the smile both the mother and the child had when reunited, the pure joy that radiated out through their faces, that made it so Ash couldn't help but smile.

After talking with Venomoth Jenny had called for more resources and the police department had transferred the sleeping children to the rooftop mansion. The psychic pokémon there had been able to reverse the effects of the psychic waves, and return the children to normal. The children were then reunited with their parents and guardians, who were very happy to see them again.

Misty, the oldest one who had been under the effects of the psychic activity, had been embarrassed about the whole ordeal. Officer Jenny had promised to speak with anyone who had photographs of behavior, but there was little she could do if the photographer refused to cooperate. The red haired trainer had begun moping at that point, knowing that her older sisters were eventually going to hear about her misadventure.

She was off hiding in one of the mansion back rooms. Jenny was trying to coax her out with little success. Brock was back, helping with the final procedures being administered to the pokémon who had been affected by the telepathic malfunction. They all would be ready for release soon. Once he was done helping the pokémon center deal with them and when Misty was over her scandal the group would be ready to leave again.

But that was all secondary to Ash. All that mattered to him was the parents reuniting with their children.

**A dark haired man, smiling in relief. A woman with **gold brown eyes, giving half hearted scoldings, happy to see him. A fussy old weedle, complaining about something or other as he wove warm clothes.

**All three smiling proudly at him.**

"It was the least I could do," Aaron replied. "But I'm just going to say, Arnold's lucky to have a mother that worries about him like you do."

"But she's embarrassing," Arnold muttered under his breath. He had just gotten out of a rather longer hugging session than the young pokémon trainer, and was still red-cheeked from the experience.

"You're such a nice boy," the mother told Ash. "Stop by here whenever you want, we'll give you a nice old fashioned, home cooked dinner."

"That's okay," Ash replied, "I probably won't be back in most of Kanto after this year."

"Well then," the woman told him, "we should make it count while you're here. Just look at you boy, you're skin and bones. And you're clothes, they're much too small for a boy your age. That's it, you're coming with me right now!"

"Wait, stop, stop, stop!" Aaron protested as the plump mother started to drag him away. Arnold snickered at his rescuer's predicament. There would be no escape for Ash Ketchum, aka Aaron Autumns. He would soon know the horror that was shopping**_._**

* * *

><p>AN: I don't agree with all of Bulbasaur's opinions on humanity.<p>

Just most of them.

I originally wasn't going to adapt this episode, but I was looking the upcoming episodes I knew I would be adapting and went "Doh!"

Without spoiling too much I hadn't wanted the story to get dark again for a little while. But, out of the next five chapters I had planned, one was going to be a huge expansion of an episode where I thought I could turn the story into something interesting, but would have a couple of really dark moment. And the other one was originally going to be a single chapter, but would have been the darkest chapter I would have written to date.

So I decided to find a couple more episodes to adapt and change the order. The really dark chapter was going to be changed so much that it could be moved to later in the story, and upon reflecting on it, would work better as arc rather than a single chapter. I also have to do some research in order to properly write it.

The chapter with dark moments will stay were it is.

I'm looking forward to doing both, as they will be a challenge but rewarding if I succeed. But having both right after the Saffron Arc would make the story to dark.

Anyway, be sure to leave a review.


	27. Chapter 27

Even though it was autumn, even though the days should be getting shorter, colder, and less sunny, it was yet another bright and sunny day in Kanto. Though a cool breeze occasionally rustled the mix of green living, and orange and red dead leaves, the day was still pleasantly warm as Ash and his pokémon hiked through the wilderness during the late morning. White clouds bumped into mountaintops that dominated the land, the snow gleaming a bright white as light reflected off of it from the sun.

_So how lost do you think Brock and Misty will get? _Pidgeotto asked Ash, as she fluttered from branch to branch.

_As long as they stick to the main roads or take a bus, they should be fine, _Ash answered.

_And do you think they'll actually do that? _Pikachu asked from Ash's shoulder.

_I take it you have a plan to find them after they get lost trying to take a shortcut, _Bulbasaur said, walking beside Ash.

_Maybe Vulpix could send up a flare? _Charmander suggested from Ash's other side.

_That would require one of them to admit that they were lost_, Pikachu pointed out.

_Misty's smart enough to know to stay close to water. We could probably find them by listening to some water pokémon gossip. _Squirtle suggested, walking ahead of the group.

_I gotta say, that Brock there was darn lucky to just be given a darn pokémon, _Primeape said from above, swinging from tree branch to tree branch. _Especially one as cute as dat dere Vulpix._

_Or to receive a strong bulbasaur, an awesome squirtle, a great charmander, and an overpowered pikachu, _Ash said to Primeape. _I can't complain about Brock getting a free pokémon; after all I didn't catch most of you guys. _

The pokéraised child ducked under a tree branch, tilting his staff to get it under. He quickly checked his hat to make sure it was on alright. Although it didn't seem so, his hat was the only piece of his original wardrobe that he was wearing. Arnold's mother, the woman from HopHopHop town, where the incident with the hypnotism had taken place, had dragged him on a shopping spree to get a new set of clothes that fit. Ash had been able to talk her into getting a bigger version of his current wardrobe. It was nice to have pants that reached down to where they were supposed to again.

_Besides, we're assuming that we'll get there first, _Pidgeotto told the group. _With our luck we'll run into some sort of situation that might necessitate our intervention._

_No way,_ Pikachu replied. _The odds of that happening again are basically nil._

_Oh really? Let's take a look at what's happened so far, _Pidgeotto said before going on to list the unusual events they had participated in, _you two, on your first day no less, saved Misty from a flock of killer spearow lead by a crazed, eye hungry fearow. Then the pokémon center you're staying in gets attacked and you have to drive off two skilled members of Team Rocket. These same Team Rocket members later ambush you in both the Viridian forest and Pewter City, where, in the latter city you help to reunite a gym leader with his estranged father. Then there was the Mt. Moon incident, the battle at the Hidden Village, running into the Squirtle Squad, saving Charmander, Team Rocket's attack on the SS. Anne, Team Rocket's attack on the beauty contest, Team Rocket's attack on the butterfree mating flock, and then Team Rocket's attack on Saffron City via Sabrina. After that there were the missing children in HopHopHop town, and then finally, there was what happened back with Suzy and Vulpix. I think it would probably be easier to assume that we're going to run into situations that require our aid._

_Actually, four of those last six things had to do with Team Rocket, _Ash replied. _Plus I'm also being stalked by some skilled members of Team Rocket. I wonder if there's a connection..._

_Dammed if I know,_ Pikachu shrugged. _ I'm saying that it was already improbable that all that happened. The addition of one more event is even more improbable._

_Actually, unless there's a connection between the events, the outcome of later events has no effect on the probability of later events occurring, _Ash explained. _So, the fact that all that improbable stuff has already happened has no bearing on whether or not more improbable stuff will happen. If the earlier events are related to the later ones that might increase their probability of occurring._

_So, whatcha sayin is dat we should be ready for sometin strange to happen? _Primeape asked his trainer.

_No, nothing's likely to happen, _Ash answered. _I'm just saying that all of the weird things that happened earlier don't automatically make it even less likely that more weird situations will occur._

It was at that point that the group heard a commotion on up ahead. The group instantly jumped into fighting stances, Ash's pokémon rushing in front of him. Sparks danced from Pikachu's cheeks and Charmander's tail as the disturbance grew closer.

_Over here, over here, over here! Where is everybody? _A high pitched voice shouted. The group soon saw the source of the voice, a thin, brown, dome-like pokémon with a horizontal pink oval for a nose and two black eyes. It was a diglett carving a furrow through the forest floor. It seemed to be running from something. Ash wondered why it didn't simply just burrow away.

He got an answer when a mudkip and a sandshrew burst out of the ground on either side of the small brown pokémon. They must have used Dig to chase the ground type pokémon from under the ground.

_Gotcha! _The sandshrew shouted, attempting to use Scratch on the diglett. But the pursued ground type ducked underground.

_Hey, what's going on here! _Ash called out to three pokémon. To the best of his knowledge sandshrew and mudkips didn't hunt digletts. So why were these two pokémon after the ground type?

All three pokémon froze, the diglett halfway back underground, the mudkip ready to pounce, and the sandshrew recovering from its missed attack.

_Did that human- _the mudkip began.

_- just talk properly? _The sandshrew finished.

_Or are our ears deceiving us? _The diglett added.

_Yeah, yeah, yeah, heard it all before, _Ash replied, rolling his eyes. _Can't we just skip this bit and get to the part where you tell me what's going on? I'm pretty sure mudkips and sandshrews aren't predators to digletts._

_Uh, well, you see our trainer is helping a construction team drive away or collect these digletts and dugtrios that have been harassing him, _the sandshrew answered. _Every trainer gets paid about a quarter of the usual gym advancement and the trainer who does the best wins a seven day spa trip._

_And why are you and your kin harassing the construction team? _Ash asked the diglett.

_Long story, but the short version is that their desired dam would have detrimental effects on our own terraforming efforts, _the diglett replied. _If you want I can tell you more after I escape from these two._

_You ain't going anywhere, _the sandshrew told the diglett. _I'm taking you down right now._

_Back off,_ Ash told the sandshrew. _I need to talk to him about what's going on._

_Sorry buddy, but our trainer could really use the money, _the sandshrew brandished its claws. _So you can just go right along before I'm forced to hurt you-_

The ground type was interrupted by a greenish blur slamming it backwards. The sandshrew let out a cry of pain as it sailed towards a tree. But before it could hit the tree, two green vines lashed out, wrapped themselves around the airborne pokémon and smashed it into the ground like a rotten pumpkin. The vines then unwound and left the sandshrew lying still in the dirt.

_I'd take your friend and leave, _Bulbasaur said to the mudkip, who was looking at the bulb bearing saurian with wide eyes.

_Yes sir, right away sir, _the water type pokémon responded. It scampered over to the prone sandshrew and squirted it in the face with cold water. The sandshrew stirred and the mudkip managed to get under it to prop up the ground type pokémon and help it limp away.

_Good riddance_, Bulbasaur muttered as the two pokémon left. _Honestly it was like he didn't even notice the rest of us._

_Well a talking human sort of grabs one's attention,_ Pidgeotto told her comrade. _But, yeah, it was like he didn't even know he was outnumbered, by us and by Diglett's kin. By the way, you can come out now._

Around Ash's group and the diglett that the two pokémon had been chasing the earth surged and about twenty brown heads poked out of the soil.

_Wow, I didn't even notice them, _Pikachu commented. _But then again they are ground types._

_Thanks for the save, _the first diglett said to Ash, _even if it was unnecessary._

_You're welcome, if it was unnecessary,_ Ash returned. _So what exactly is happening? What's this about a dam and your terraforming efforts?_

The first diglett turned and looked at one of the others, unspoken words being exchanged between the two. And then it turned back to Ash.

_As I said it's a bit of a long story. So how about we give you a little show to explain._

* * *

><p><em>Wow<em>.

Ash and company looked out from the ledge into the wild valley behind the mountain. Not that any human could have guessed that it was wild.

Terraces filled with fresh loamy mud, flowers and saplings being placed with as much care as a mother bird depositing her eggs, streams being diverted to serve as the lifeblood for the birthing botany, it was a marvel of landscaping that was laid out before them. Digletts and dugtrios popped up and down, sometimes carrying plant life and sometimes shaping the earth. The air was alive with calls and instructions, the hustle and bustle of busy pokémon. Appropriately enough there was a rich earthy scent wafting up from the valley.

_Wow, _Ash repeated. _I mean, yeah I heard about what digletts do, Poison Lance told me about it, but seeing it is something else._

_No, this is something else, _Pidgeotto told her trainer. _I've seen a couple of diglett terraforming colonies before when I was hunting by Fuschia City, but this one takes the cake._

_Why are there so many digletts and dugtrios in this valley?_ Pikachu asked. _I've also heard about these colonies and this is easily four times the size of them._

_It just happened,_ Diglett answered. _You know how these colonies usually form, right? _She asked the group.

_Wandering digletts and dugtrios stumbled across a suitable habitat and start altering the landscape to encourage the growth of plant life, _Ash replied. _They also plant the first generation of the flora that will populate the habitat, guaranteeing plant roots for them and their descendants to eat in a couple of years._

The group, plus Diglett, gave him strange looks.

_I read a book on the subject once, _Ash said, a bit defensively.

_Anyway, that's correct, _Diglett said. _As to how this formed, it's because of the history of this region. From what I've heard from trained pokémon and some electric pokémon at a couple of abandoned power plants, these mountains used to be responsible for a large amount of the power generation for the region around Fuschia City. Everything from hydro power to geo-thermal as well as coal was utilized. The human economy in these valleys was based off of power generation. Then the Great War came and all the power plants and mines became targets, as well as the towns that serviced them. Before the Great War ended the humans had left these mountains. It was then that our ancestors moved in. They repaired the land and the plant-life in various spots, creating habitats for us._

_But, then the humans started coming back and resettling these mountains,_ Diglett continued. _Their expansion has pushed us out of these old habitats and deeper into the mountains. Several exoduses found this valley together and that's how this super colony was formed._

_Why didn't you defend your former colonies? _Bulbasaur asked. _I mean you're fighting with the construction workers now so why not -_

_Because attacking human homes is the surest way to earn a death sentence, _Diglett answered. _And we didn't attack them then for the same reason two herbivores don't attack each other over food. Land is a resource to compete for, not fight for. It's just that now, they aren't going to be using the land. And it's not just us who will be affected; every pokémon that lives in this valley and in these mountains will suffer if they build that dam._

_You're not just thinking about up and leaving? _Ash raised an eyebrow. _This plan seems to be a bit more long term than wild pokémon usually come up with._

_I know,_ Diglett replied. _It just sort of happened with this group. When you have this many intelligent beings working together on something so large, it is inevitable that one acquires some skill with long term thinking._

A though struck Ash.

_One second, there's something I want to confirm, _Ash said, reaching into the side pockets of his backpack. He took out his pokédex and flipped it open.

"Would you like to register now?" The device said to him. Ash could have sworn it sounded sarcastic.

"Don't have time," Ash selected the register later button. "Uh... let's see, select maps, political maps, show current location... zoom in to confirm... yes we are in League territory." He looked up from the red device. _How did they get a permit to build here? There should have been surveyors and they should have been able to tell that building the dam would have humongous negative ecological effects._

_The surveyors were probably bribed,_ Bulbasaur suggested. _Some yen changed hands and then whoever wanted this dam built got their permit._

_Or they simply didn't find us,_ Diglett offered. _It's not exactly like this is an easy place to find._

_Perfect,_ Ash said, putting the pokédex away. _All we have to do is go to whomever's in charge and explain this to them. They'll have to halt while they take another look... or better yet you guys could build the dam in such a manner that it wouldn't flood these valleys. You guys can do that, right?_

_Yeah, it would only take us about a week with everything we've learned,_ Diglett answered. _But... uh, _she winced, _we've got other problems._

_Beside, _Bulbasaur added, _your first idea sucked. If they did get the permit via bribery what makes you think that they care about what you have to say? Or that they wouldn't try and quiet you permanently. You're not Brock or Misty, you don't have their official clout. But if Team Rocket is funding this dam with the sole intent of harming the wild pokémon of the valley, your second idea could work. But enough about your idiocy, what's the other problem that we have to deal with?_

_Remember that contest that the two pokémon chasing me were talking about? _Diglett asked Ash. _Well that's going on all around these mountains and not every trainer is leaving it at driving us away from the construction site. Some have resorted to knocking us out and even killing us in an attempt to win this competition._

Ash winced. Of course. The digletts were attacking humans. Even if they weren't attacking the people themselves, only the equipment and the dam, it was still a case of wild pokémon causing harm to humans.

Humanity's mastery of lethal force was what kept wild pokémon from attack humans, to either take their food or eat them. Diglett had said it herself, attacking human homes was the surest way for a pokémon to earn a death sentence. Attacking human construction didn't earn an official one, it would seem, but some trainers would feel justified in retaliating in that manner. The fact that there was a contest with a prize didn't help matters much.

_Then we best hurry so we can get the guy in charge to call them off, _Ash said.

Diglett shook her head.

_That won't work, _she informed the trainer. _There's no communication or anything between the trainers other than the nightly check-ins. We can stop it after today, but that won't help everyone that they're hunting right now._

_So what do you want us to do then? _Ash asked.

_Well, nothing, _Diglett replied. _You're the weirdest thing to happen to us all day. Just arranging a meeting between us and the humans in charge of construction would be fine._

_We can't just let them kill you,_ Ash protested. _There's got to be something we can do!_

_More than what a couple hundred of us could do?_ Diglett looked unconvinced.

_Well, yeah, I mean I got a team that has a nice type variety and are plenty strong, _Ash told her. _We can help you with any grass, water, ice, or flying pokémon._

_We'll see,_ Diglett still didn't look very convinced. _If we need you before tonight we'll come get you. In the meantime why don't you relax here for a bit?_

_If you insist, _Ash replied, a bit hesitant. He looked around. _Where can we set up camp that'll be out of the way?_

_Over there's fine, _Diglett said, inclining her head towards a flat area between where the digletts and dugtrios were working and the pre-existing valley forest. _And don't worry about getting in our way, we're not going to get much work done until this situation with the dam is resolved._

Ash and company looked at the terraces skeptically.

_Relatively speaking, _Diglett corrected herself. _Make yourself at home._

Ash and his pokémon set up a small camp and broke out some trail rations while they waited for nightfall.

_Remember our earlier conversation about how running into some sort of bizarre situation that required our intervention was improbable?_ Pidgeotto asked the group as they snacked on their various dishes. _Well I'd just like to point out that I was right._

_My life is too strange for words, _Ash sighed. _I mean how come this keeps happening? Is my luck really that weird? I should try gambling sometime to see if I'd always lose or always break the house._

_I guess it's just one of the great mysteries of the world, _Squirtle shrugged. _But its way cool that we keep running into these things._

_It does give me plenty of chances to prove that I'm the most awesome electric pokémon in Kanto, _Pikachu added. _But we can't just dismiss it as one of the great mysteries of the word. We really need to start investigating why this happens at some point._

_Well, where should we start? _Charmander asked.

Everybody thought for a second, looking upward. And then everyone's heads fell down, as if they were being pushed by black clouds of depression.

_I've got no clue, _they whined in unison.

* * *

><p>"So why did the higher ups want us to help with this dam?" Meowth asked his human companions. The Jessie, James, Meowth, Koffing, and Ekans were sitting around the forest a short distance away from the construction site. "And right now? We just did a bunch of high profile jobs in Fuschia City and to the north. We need a break."<p>

"Evidently the League and the police are still distracted with those cases and they want the dam done before anyone catches on," James replied. "I'm guessing they want to hurry up and rebuild the economy of the region before the good guys can stop them."

"That's why they funded the dam and forged the construction permit," Jessie said cheerily. "So we should do our best and help too. We should find whoever tricked those digletts into attack the dam and kill them."

"And in the meantime we have to drive those digletts away," James continued. "And the best way to is to sneak into the contest."

"But the authorities are going to be looking for a pair of trainers with an ekans and a koffing," Jessie added. "Is there some way we could disguise you two?"

_No matter how you slice it, we're an ekans and a koffing, _Ekans replied, Meowth translating.

"Then I guess we'll have to leave you two behind and just take Meowth," James said, frowning as he thought. "It's not an optimal-"

_Hell no! _Koffing protested. _You two aren't going anywhere without us!_

"Don't worry, we'll have Meowth with us," James tried to reassure his pokémon. "He'll guard our backs."

_Nope, not enough, _Ekans hissed. _You're taking us with or you're not going at all. Are we clear?_

"Come on," Jessie pleaded. "It's only covert ops. We could do this asleep."

_No way, _Ekans hissed. _This is one risk we won't take._

_Can I talk to you two for a second, _Meowth asked. _Privately?_

_Fine, _Koffing said, giving James a dark look. The three pokémon left the two humans and gathered together a little ways away.

_Why are you guys being so obstinate about this right now? _Meowth asked. _This isn't the first time they've planned a covert operation where you two aren't involved._

_No, but they usually make sure to at least have us with them, _Koffing replied. _But right now they're planning an operation where we're not in the physical vicinity._

_It's not that we don't trust you to keep them safe from others,_ Ekans told Meowth. _But you don't know how to stop them if they get out of hand. You don't know all the little tricks needed to keep them safe from themselves._

_They haven't shown any signs of that happening for a very long time now, Meowth replied. They might be completely better now._

_I'm not taking that risk, _Ekans hissed angrily. _Do you know how Jessie was acting when I found her in the wild all those years ago? Like one of those wild non-sentient moving things... animals I think they're called. She was acting like a wild animal. She wouldn't speak, she wouldn't do anything to treat her wounds and burns, and she tried to eat dirt for Arceus sake! Do you know what I had to do to get her to take care of herself, to get her acting like a human being again?_

_And James wasn't much better,_ Koffing added passionately. _He was just wandering around the swap mindlessly when I found him. He kept walking into trees and things. Then he tripped and simply didn't get up again. He nearly died three times during the first two weeks I spent with him. You have no idea just how bad he was!_

_I have some, remember, _Meowth replied. _Ekans you snuck into the city so that you could find me to help with Jessie, remember? And Koffing, we found you in that swamp before you had James talking again. Yeah, I didn't see how bad they were at first, but I was there for a good amount of the work._

_And it's your fault that they joined Team Rocket, _Koffing growled. _Don't forget-_

_They needed that medical checkup badly and the only way from them to get that was to use that place, _Meowth defended himself. _I didn't know it was owned by Team Rocket, or that Jessie and James would love the setup, or about their hang up with 'good' and 'evil'. I still say that was the best decision I could have made back then with the information I had back then._

_Koffing, just drop it,_ Ekans told his comrade. _Let's just think of a solution to the problem at hand. I don't think it's safe to trick them into quitting Team Rocket yet, but I'm not letting Jessie do this without me. And I know Koffing feels the same way about James. _

_And you don't think anyone else can keep them both under control, _Meowth said diplomatically. _We could have them work without each other, but that idea might cause problems of its own. Ergh. If only one of you two was a ditto..._

_You know, _Koffing began. _That gives me an idea._ He floated over to Ekans whispered something next to his head.

_Yes, I think we could pull that off, _Ekans responded when Koffing was done explaining his idea. _Come on, let's go back to Jessie and James._

_Aren't you gonna tell me what your idea is? _Meowth asked the two poison types.

_You'll see, _the snake like pokémon replied.

They made their way back to the humans, who had been making small talk amongst themselves.

"Evidently Ekans and Koffing have come up with a plan," Meowth informed the red haired woman and the purple/blue haired man. "I don't know what-"

He was interrupted by gasps from the two humans, whose expressions were a mix between pained, sad, amazed, and awed. White light infringed upon the edge of his vision. The cat scratch pokémon turned around to see what the commotion was.

Ekans and Koffing had turned into blazing white lights. Their shapes changed, grower larger and adding new features. Ekans elongated and added mass near the head. Koffing swelled and a smaller orb popped into existence on its side.

When the light faded, an Arbok and Weezing were before them.

"You-" Jessie looked on the verge of tears. "-you didn't need to change, not for this little thing."

"Koffing," James said sadly.

_It was about time for us to do this anyway, _Arbok said, Meowth translating.

_You two have been garnering too much attention lately, getting in too many fights__, _Weezing added via Meowth.

_Don't worry, _Arbok continued, giving his equivalent of a smile to Jessie. _It's still me._

_Yeah, it's just a change in form and stats, not who we are, _Weezing added, nuzzling James.

"Fine, fine," Jessie sighed, giving a small smile. "You win. You'll come with us this time."

* * *

><p>The shareholder's representative, a gray haired man with black sunglasses and a gray suit, looked out over the pokémon trainers busy eating lunch. Some of the trainers that had been hired to take care of the diglett problem had filtered back to the construction site around noon and the idiot head of construction had decided to provide the League scum with a free lunch.<p>

Well, it didn't really matter in the end, the representative thought. So long as the dam got built, on the dollar of a shell corporation that belonged to Team Rocket. As long as that happened the end result would put the mountain area under their control and wiping out the diglett/dugtrio super colony.

When the dam was completed, the local economy would come to depend on the cheap power it provided. Cheap power controlled by Team Rocket. Thus, through their shell subsidiary, Team Rocket would control the local area. They could set up new bases of operation and squash all attempts at investigation.

At the same time the dam would wipe out the ground type super colony. An anomaly like that was troubling. If those monsters could come together and organize like that, they might start spreading those skills, turning them into an even bigger danger than they already were. No, it was better to nip the problem in the bud and exterminate them all.

He scanned the crowd, looking for any sign of his support. The representative had been told that a high level team, the 'Crazies' as they were nicknamed, would be assisting him in dealing with the diglett problem. While he felt that using them in delicate operations such as this one was a bit of a risk, as opposed to their usual job of creating high profile distractions, everyone had to acknowledge their skills. It was only thanks to them that the Saffron City job was accomplished.

Two young blonde women, eating lunch with their pokémon, a meowth, an arbok, and a weezing, caught his eye. He looked at them again and noticed one of them look at him out of the corner of their eye. One of their hands briefly formed a strange shape by their side, a Rocket identification sign, and they returned to eating their lunch.

Interesting, the representative thought to himself, without the hand sign he never would have guessed that those two were the Rockets. Hopefully they would provide some of the carnage they were known to visit on other Rocket operatives.

* * *

><p>Diglett carved a furrow through the undergrowth, looking behind him to make sure that the pursuers were just the right distance behind him. He knew that less than fifty yards away a group of his kin was lying in wait.<p>

A growlithe and a vaporeon barked and shouted behind him. Diglett ducked under a gout of flame and dodged to the left to avoid a high pressured stream of water. The thin line of liquid cut a thin line in the ground, slicing through stone and thick tree roots.

It had been intended as a lethal blow.

Too bad that the colony hadn't decided to return in kind.

Well, no, it was best not to bring down the wrath of humanity on the colony. Still it was annoying to have to deal with their lethal attacks without being able to retaliate.

He dove underground, dug forward a couple meters, and then popped back up. There, just ahead, his comrades would be-

He heard cries of pain and vicious cawing. A small flock of pidgeots, pidgeottos, and fearows had descended upon the waiting digletts. The flying types occasionally preyed on digletts and other ground type pokémon and currently they were putting their skills to good use.

Winds carved into the ground, stripping digletts of their protection, and leaving them open to beaks and claws. Drill pecks stabbed into the ground, spearing brown pokémon. Blood flew and digletts died.

Diglett instantly dug deep underground, hoping to escape from the massacre unnoticed. Evidently the slaughter he had witnessed was more tempting to the flying types and his pursuers.

He had to inform the colony of this new development.

* * *

><p>"Nice noxious smelling Smog Weezing," James complimented his pokémon as it laid down a cloud of purple smoke that sent digletts fleeing. "That should keep those pesky digletts away until the construction is done."<p>

"Way to get those stragglers!" Jessie cheered on her own pokémon as it chased after the digletts who had retreated underground. "This is pretty easy," the currently blonde woman said to the man disguised as a blonde woman. "I don't know if our help was actually necessary."

"Well, it never hurts," James replied. "Anyway I made sure that the Rocket representative knew we were here. So they can now focus on other issues."

"Maybe we should organize the other trainers," Meowth suggested. "Create an organized effort to get the job done sooner and safer."

"I don't know, how would they determine the winner?" Jessie asked. "In fact, how are they tracking the performances at all?"

"Using these," James explained, holding up a small digital recorder. "The contest is a bit unfair, seeing how filmography skills will factor into the final decisions. I haven't been using it since we don't want any extra attention."

"Well, it's an idea worth looking into," Meowth said. "But you know, I was hanging around by the representative earlier, and I think he might have suggested that to a group.

"We should probably find that group then and join up with them," Jessie suggested. "See if we can get the job done even faster."

The Rockets searched through the forest, making sure to scare off groups of digletts as they went, searching for the trainers working together. Had Meowth bothered to get their scent, the job might have been done easier, but he hadn't thought of it at the time. Thus the group was forced to wander about the mountainside looking for them.

Meowth sniffed the air.

"I smell a lot of blood up ahead," the normal type told the two poison types and the two humans. "I think something may have gone wrong."

Jessie and James nodded, crouching down a bit before moving onward. They continued and came across the scene of the slaughter.

Diglett corpses were strewn about like dolls at a landfill, the space between them filled with blood. There were holes and cuts in the ground. With the blood of the digletts everywhere it looked like the earth itself was bleeding.

"Why would they do this?" Jessie shouted angrily, standing tall and defiant before the scene. "We were only supposed to drive them away from the dam, not kill them all!"

"They were just being mischievous," Jame's hands turned into fists. "This, this is going too far!"

"This won't get them extra points," Meowth said, tapping his chin as he thought, unfazed by the carnage. He had seen worse, both before and after meeting Jessie and James. "There's no reason for the trainers to do this, unless something has changed. But what?"

"The good guys must have infiltrated the construction crew," Jessie exclaimed. "They must have lied to the trainers as they were setting out."

"It looks like we have to abandon this part of the operation then," James stated. "We'll need to go back to camp to find the perpetrator and kill them."

* * *

><p>Gary Oak watched Nidorino, Eevee, and Warturtle chase off another group of digletts with sharp eyes. The grandson of the famous pokémon professor was confused about the situation.<p>

Despite the impression he sometimes gave Gary Oak was not unintelligent. Just the opposite in fact. His grandfather had privately postulated that his grandson's strange behavior was due to the intelligence he had inherited.

And currently, his keen mind was telling him that something was wrong with the whole situation. Oh, the idea of digletts harassing humans wasn't that odd; if someone stumbled into the heart of a diglett colony the digletts would drive them away. But most colonies had nowhere near the numbers he had seen thus far. None of the towns he had passed through before hearing about the contests had mentioned any diglett problems. He would have asked some of the other trainers for more information, but almost all of them had come via bus.

And why was their even a diglett colony in the area? It was something that would most likely preclude the construction of the dam. But they had a construction permit, thus implying that a surveyor had been through the area and had determined that the dam would have little effect on the local ecosystem.

Could the diglett colony have moved in recently? Possibly but then they would have probably left the area than compete with humans, And what about their numbers? What was the explanation there?

The purple shirted trainer frowned. He would have to dig deeper into this situation.

* * *

><p><em>So then the dratini goes 'that's not my sister', and then she points at the gyarados that looks like it wants to Dragon Rage me six ways from Sunday, and says 'that's my sister!<em>

Ash and his pokémon laughed. They were sitting around, Ash on a rock he had dragged over, swapping stories.

_So how'd you get out of that one? _Pikachu asked.

_Well, as it turned out- _Bulbasaur began.

_Hey, Ash! We need to talk__! _Diglett called out, popping out of the ground in the middle of the group. Her sudden entrance startled everyone, causing Ash to fall of his rock with a cry.

_Owwwww, _Ash moaned, rubbing the back of his head as he picked himself up.

_Sorry, but it's an emergency, _Diglett said.

_What is it? _Pidgeotto asked. _I thought the colony had everything in hand until tonight._

_We did, _Diglett answered. _And then a bunch of trainers with highly evolved flying types decided to work together to exterminate us._

_Exterminate as in kill? _Charmander asked, a bit frightfully. Ash remembered that he had the least experience with situations like the current sort.

_Exactly, _Diglett confirmed. _We're sorta stumped at this point._

_Give me the details, _Ash said, frowning in concentration.

A flock, somewhere between seventeen and thirty-five, consisting of pidgeottos, pidgeots, and fearows, according to the reports. Arial attacks break the group of digletts. Assorted land bound pokémon move in to finish up the fight. Diglett didn't have any more information.

Ash gazed off into the distance as he pondered this information.

_I think one of our original assumptions was off, _he said, thinking aloud. _They do have some sort of communication before nightfall. I wonder if it's not too late to go to the site and get them to call it off..._

_This is starting to smell fishier and fishier, _Bulbasaur stated. _And it ain't fun not having the whole picture. We need to know what's changed back at the site and who's behind this damn dam. Ash, we're not going until night when most people there are asleep. It's way too dangerous otherwise._

_But we can't just stand here and let them go around killing digletts! _Ash protested. _And if this escalates, then there's no hope for the colony. We need to do something..._

_You just had an idea, didn't you! _Pikachu exclaimed excitedly, scrambling up his trainer to stand on Ash's shoulder. _Come on, let's hear it._

_Well, it's mostly Squirtle's idea,_ Ash told his first pokémon. _Remember how we met?_

_I remember something about your foul mouth, _Squirtle smirked. _And the Squirtle Squad's awesome trap!_

_A pitfall trap? How would that even work on a group as large as this? _Pikachu asked. _And what's it supposed to do to the flying types?_

_It's not supposed to do anything to the flying types themselves. It's to stop their trainers! _Ash answered. _ If we could somehow fill it with some water to stun them all at once using Pikachu..._

_The hole would have to be large enough so that everyone has a bit of room, _Diglett said, mainly to herself. _But constructing an effective pitfall trap that size is pretty much impossible. It'll only catch a couple of the pokémon and trainers._

_You're going to have to build it under them, _Ash told her. _It's going to be a bit dangerous; you're going to have to have a decoy group._

_And how are we supposed to do it while under attack by those flying types? _Diglett asked. _They know how to hunt us._

_That's where we come in, _Ash informed her. _Pikachu here knows Thunder, Bulbasaur and Squirtle have had plenty of experience, Primeape's strong, and Pidgeotto's our ace._

_What about me? _Charmander asked.

_This isn't your sort of fight, _Ash told his fire type.

**Claws **raked at the fading fire type.

A tail flame so weak, **fluttering and dying in the wind and rain.**

The human patted Charmander's head.

_The next gym is supposed to be a poison type one, _Ash said to Charmander. _You can fight then._

_Alright, _Charmander said a bit sourly. He was getting stronger thanks to Ash. He'd show him one of these days.

_But we should still distract everyone while they start to dig the pit, _Bulbasaur told Ash. _Lead them on a merry chase and then, when they're nice and tired, spring the trap on them!_

_Pidgeotto, you want to help me with this? _Pikachu asked._ We can engage them in the air again._

_Sure thing, _Pidgeotto replied. _It'll be just like at Butterfree's mating flock._

_Alright, then it's settled, _Ash said. _Err, wait, sorry, this plan fine with you Diglett?_

_I'll have to ask around, but I'd start preparing, _Diglett replied. She paused for a second. _Just one question? Why are you so eager to help? This could be, probably will be, very dangerous. What's in it for you?_

_I go where the idiot goes, _Pikachu answered.

_Helping folks is cool! _Squirtle said. _Besides, it's a chance for some action!_

_I've got nothing better to do, _Pidgeotto replied.

_Pokémon trainers are supposed to help, _Ash told her. _Besides, it's the right thing to do._

_The world is an awful, dark, shitty cesspit, _Bulbasaur responded, _and I really hate it. Doing things like this is a little bit like hitting it in the face. _

_... I'm just along for da ride, _Primeape shrugged.

_I guess those are as good of answers as any, _Diglett said with a small smile. _I'll go talk to the colony now._

* * *

><p><em>It's too bad we're not doing this at night, <em>Pikachu told Pidgeotto as she rode a column of hot air upward. _I could shout my name and say that I'm casting them from my heavens._

_You know Pikachu,_ Pidgeotto said. _The sun is technically a star. You could say something like that when we confront them anyway._

_Does 'Sparks Between the Stars' really make you think of the sun?_ Pikachu asked. _It's a nice idea, but I don't think it'll work._

_So what are you going to say to them instead?_ Pidgeotto asked, her keen eyes sweeping the skies for any sign of the flock they were chasing.

_I don't know,_ Pikachu admitted. _Maybe I'll just stay silent._

_You? _Pidgeotto in a false shocked tone. _You stay silent as some point? Quickly, are the Hands of Arceus tearing apart the world and reaching up to snuff out the stars themselves?_

_Ha-ha-ha, _Pikachu glared at his friend. _You're just lucky that we're so high up so I can't risk shocking you._

_I know, _Pidgeotto replied, somehow smirking with a beak. _Anyway I think I've found them. Hang on tight._

The flying type banked and traded a bit of altitude for speed, darting through the air towards a group of dark shapes heading towards them from the afternoon sun.

_Get behind them please, _Pikachu asked, squinting. _I'm not sure I can target them like this._

_Remember we're just trying to distract them right now, _Pidgeotto reminded him as they closed in on the flock. The other flying types were simply soaring in a circle, no doubt waiting for signals from down below to dive into action. _Save the knockouts for when they're lower and after we've got the trainers pinned down._

_Gotcha,_ Pikachu said, keeping an eye on the circling flying types.

_What are you doing? _A pidgeot asked as the duo flew by. _I mean, what good is an electric type going to do against ground types?_

_Nothing, _Pidgeotto replied.

_Against flying types? _Pikachu's cheeks sparked as Pidgeotto turned around. _Everything!_

* * *

><p>Gary Oak looked over the map his pokédex was displaying. There were actually a couple maps overlaid with each other, the types constantly changing as Gary's fingers danced over the controls. He also tried to remember what the local area, towns included had been like.<p>

Unlike his deceased parents Gary Oak hadn't specialized in any particular field, well other than pokémon training. He had picked something up from everything that had caught his passing fancy. He was putting those acquired skills to good use analyzing the information on his screen.

"How the hell did this plan get approved?" He asked himself.

"Eve eevee e!" his pokémon spoke up.

"War, war, turtle warturtle," Warturtle added.

"I mean if I'm looking at this right, most of these valleys will be underwater if that dam is constructed," the pokémon trainer continued. "I would ask if the head of construction bribed some surveyors, but I don't think he's the sort of guy to even consider it..."

And then there was the sudden use of lethal force by a group of trainers. Gary could understand where they were coming from, but he felt it was far too hasty of them. And it wasn't like the digletts had proven themselves to be dangerous.

In fact why was there a sudden change? Gary had talked with the trainers earlier. They didn't seem to be the type to do that without reasonable provocation. And why had they decided to band together? Considering the contest, it was counterintuitive, and, from his earlier impression of the man, the head of construction would be horrified by the use of lethal force.

What had changed between yesterday and today?

The arrival of the shareholder's representative!

It was purely speculation of course, but it fit. He was the new variable in the equation. If someone really wanted the dam built, badly enough to kill possibly innocent pokémon, then they would also be willing to bribe or forge the permits. And the representative would be the person who had the most contact with every area of construction, from material acquisitions to hiring to the construction job itself.

Gary had no answer to the possible motivations for the representative's suspected behavior, but it couldn't be good.

The Oak boy stood up, putting his pokédex away. Eevee, Warturtle, and Nidorino looked up as he did so.

"Guys, we're going to need to put a stop to this mess," Gary said to his pokémon. "Something's not right. Eevee, do you know where the group is?"

One of the normal's types ears twitched and Eevee gestured with his head.

"Come on, we've got to get them to call it off for now!"

Gary and his pokémon raced through the forest, Eevee leading the way. About ten minutes into their run, they came across their target.

The group of trainers was standing around, trying to figure out which way to go. Maps were out, arms were crossed, and their pokémon were either lying about or playing with each other. A couple of the humans looked over when Gary approached. They looked at him suspiciously.

Gary quickly thought about how to approach the situation. He really didn't want to say who he was exactly. It felt too much like he was relying on his grandfather's reputation. He had no problem saying it before a battle, or before he attempted to do something awesome, but that was him caring for the Oak legacy and creating his own.

But on one hand it might make things easier...

But, on the other, it might seem like pointless bragging and alienate the trainers. Gary decided not to introduce himself.

"Guys!" He shouted to the group. "I need to talk to you all!"

First he needed to find out why they were suddenly killing the digletts.

'What?" One of the trainers replied, a red haired boy. His body was tensed, like he was anticipating a fight. Gary got the impression that he wasn't welcome. "If you want tips you can forget it, it's still a contest-"

"No, no, no," Gary responded, shaking his head. "I need to know why you all decided to go as a group and why you're killing the digletts now."

"Didn't that one guy tell you?" A different trainer spoke, a green haired boy this time, also looking ready for violence. "You know the one with the suit and sunglasses? These diglett have been attacking the towns in these mountains. They've caused rock-slides, mudslides, and directly attacked lone humans or trained pokémon. They're the ones who started the killing, not us." He sounded almost defensive.

Gary frowned. That definitely wasn't true, but there was no way for these trainers to know that. They hadn't been to the towns. But it explained their attitudes somewhat.

"No, I didn't know," Gary replied slowly. "I passed through a lot of the towns around here before I heard about the problems with the dam. None of them said anything about any diglett problems. And why'd you guys form a group? If it's still a contest-"

"Sunglasses guy said that the rules have changed," the red head answered, stepping forward and glaring at Gary. His tone became cold and hard. "Everyone in the group gets the group's total score and there'll be a tournament later to determine who gets the prize."

"Really? I never heard anything about that." Gary's eyes narrowed. "Guys, I'm pretty sure something's fishy about this-"

"Oh, come on!" Another trainer moaned, this time a twenty something young man with golden brown hair. "Are you really trying this old trick? Convince us that something's wrong, get us to stop, and have a different group beat us? Or are you trying to split us back up because you've got the best individual score? Does the fact that these digletts have been killing people and pokémon even matter to you?"

"I'm saying that they haven't," Gary snapped. This was not good. Very not good. The trainers were overemotional, probably due to the misinformation they had received and their battles. For pokémon trainers killing any sort of pokémon was very stressful. It was no wonder they were short tempered and apparently violent. He really should have seen this coming. "Did anyone take a look at-"

"Just shut up!" A black hair girl shouted. They must have been almost looking for an excuse for violence. This was exactly why the League had trained, licensed professionals handle any task that involved killing pokémon. The League knew they could handle the psychological stress. Of course that didn't stop non-official efforts like this one and the consequences that came with it.

"This is pretty low," the black haired girl continued, growling. "Disgusting even. We should teach you a _sharp _lesson for this shit."

Very not good indeed.

His pokémon rushed in front of him, snarling, bristling, and ready for a fight, but were outnumbered, and frankly outclassed. There were several older trainers in the group with pokémon stronger than Gary's. The odds of him even escaping were not good.

Gary slowly began to reach for his other pokéballs, slowly stepping back while the others advanced, some taking out various weapons...

"Feeeeeeeearooooooow!" There was a painful sounding cry and a crackling buzz from above them. Everyone looked up.

An oddly shaped yellow and brown blur passed overhead, trailing bolts of yellow electric power that snapped out of it like striking snakes. Behind it the flock of evolved flying types gave chase, darting and dodging to try and avoid the electric attacks. They were not always successful; the cry had come from a fearow who had taken three bolts of a Thundershock along the neck, chest, and left wing.

The blur suddenly reversed and dove down through the trees, skimming over the heads of the trainers. The flock was caught off guard by this sudden reversal. No doubt if they only had to worry about flying they would have been able to handle the maneuver. They were highly trained and highly experienced pokémon. But an aerial chase that involved dodging electric attacks? That was something unusual, even for them.

That was why the pidgeots, pidgeottos, and fearows cried out in pain as zig-zagging bolts of yellow light found them. It wasn't enough to knock any of them out of the sky but it hurt them, disoriented them, and they wouldn't be able to function at one hundred percent after the attack.

Gary got a good look at the blur as it went past. It was a pidgeotto and a pikachu. The pikachu looked very familiar for some reason.

It was Aaron's! His rival was here! But what was he up to?

Could he be trying to sabotage this group so that he or his group could win?

No, Gary dismissed the idea right away. His honorable rival would never do such a thing!

Aaron must have realized that something was wrong and decided to also try and stop the contest.

Gary nodded to himself, the thoughts flashing through his head before the wind from Pidgeotto's passage had even begun to die down. Aaron would have a plan, hopefully something that would work better than his own.

Seizing the opportunity presented by the other trainer's surprise, Gary retreated.

"Come on!" the grandson of the Pokémon Professor shouted to his pokémon. They turned tail and joined his flight before the other trainers or their pokémon could react.

He was taking an even bigger risk by doing this, he knew. Those trainers would have no hesitation in attacking him if they thought he was participating in an attack on their pokémon. But he trusted Aaron. His rival would not let him down.

* * *

><p><em>I think that was Gary down there, <em>Pikachu idly commented, before slapping a pidgeotto away with a mild Thundershock.

_You mean that weird kid who declared Ash as his rival? _Pidgeotto asked, doing a barrel roll to avoid an Air Cutter. _Really? Huh, small world._

_Yeah, _Pikachu replied, hanging on tight and interrupting what looked like a monstrous Gust attack with a Thunderbolt. _By the way, one's getting a Hyperbeam ready at seven o'clock._

_Thanks, _Pidgeotto dove to the left, the wind from her descent forcing Pikachu's ears down, his eyes to a squint, and his tail straight behind him. A few seconds later she and Pikachu were bathed in bright white light as the beam of destructive energy passed overhead. Pikachu glared back and lashed out with tendrils of electricity. The pursuing group was momentarily scattered.

_Just saving my tail as well, _Pikachu responded. He glanced around. _Smoke! It's the signal!_

A thin line of black smoke reached upwards from the mountain forests below. Charmander would have lit a small pile of wood when the digletts were ready.

_Down! _Pikachu ordered. Pidgeotto complied, rolling over and flipping back. She shot downward, forcing the reforming group of pursuers to change course before they could finish reorganizing. She pulled up just above the forest canopy, the air disturbed from her passage knocking off dead and dying leaves.

_Do you have enough energy left for the Thunders? _The flying type asked the electric type.

_Of course! _Pikachu replied. _I'm not an amateur!_

A blast of cutting wind split a tree right beside them. A Hyperbeam cut into the forest floor ahead of them, forcing Pidgeotto to bank left.

_Then start knocking them out before they kill us! _Pidgeotto shouted.

_Fine! _A column of electricity corkscrewed upward, engulfing a diving Fearow that was seconds away from spearing them. It shrieked in agony as energy coursed through it, burning feathers, and making its muscles dance a spastic, twitching jig.

_There, you happy? _Pikachu asked as the fearow crashed into the branches behind them.

_It's better, _Pidgeotto replied. _But there are still a lot of them back there. Can't you do something about them as well?_

_You're never satisfied are you? _Pikachu grumbled. More electricity crackled and buzzed; more flying types fell out of the air. _It's always one thing after another._

Down below Gary Oak and his pokémon were running for their lives. Behind them they could hear the baying of pokémon and the angry shouts of trainers. Overhead they could hear the buzz of electricity and the cries of flying type pokémon.

_This way! _A diglett popped out of the ground and gestured with its head. _We heard what you guys tried to do! Tell your trainer to follow us and we'll keep you safe!_

Eevee nodded and changed course. Warturtle and Nidorino did likewise.

"Hey!" Gary shouted, scrambling to follow. "What's going on?"

A Bubblebeam shot past his legs, blasting the bark off a tree as it continued onward.

"Whatever works!" He sprinted off after them.

More digletts popped out in front of the other trainers and their pokémon, throwing Mud Slaps at them. A barrage of other special attacks countered most of the barrage, but a couple mud balls got through. People and pokémon swiped at their eyes and growled. The digletts took off after Gary.

Digletts popped in and out of the ground in front of Gary's group, acting like living landing lights. They guided the group over gullies and creeks, over dips and rises, between trees, through clearings, and towards the pitfall trap.

Gary stopped for a second, to catch his breath. While he was panting he turned around. The group of trainers and their pokémon was closing in, fast! And they were covered in scratches, mud, and dirt. The digletts hadn't been making it easy for them to follow.

_Come on, just a bit further! _A diglett called out to his pokémon. Eevee tugged on his pant legs. Gary looked down, smiled, and nodded. He didn't know how much further he could go or how far it was until Aaron's plan paid off, but as long as his pokémon were with him, he had no fear.

He took off again, muscles screaming, lungs desperately scrambling for air. The digletts were leading them to a large grass covered clearing. Other than the Pikachu and Pidgeotto overhead there was still no sign of Aaron.

Gary took a moment to mentally compliment his rival. A lone Pikachu would have a very difficult time being a threat to a group of evolved flying types. Pikachus had a hard time tacking hits and could only get so many of the flying types with a single attack. The rest would get through and swiftly finish off the Pikachu. If they decided to engage at all that was, they could instead simply stay out of a pikachu's range. But those problems were solved by having a nimble enough flying type carry the electric type.

A singed pidgeot crashed into the clearing as if to prove his point.

There would be no cover in the clearing. He would have to cover as quickly as he could or they would take him down. Gary threw himself into a sprint, throwing his last dregs of energy into the action. For a moment the effort washed away the pain, the tiredness, the lack of breath, everything but the action of running.

Green land blurred around him, vision slowly narrowing due to lack of oxygen. It was for that reason that he missed one of the diglett holes. His foot caught; Gary Oak tripped and fell.

The grass felt so good. The purple shirted trainer just wanted to lie there until his heart calmed down. But the happy shouts and growls of his pursuers reminded him why that was a bad idea.

He pushed himself to his knees and glanced back. A growlithe and a vaporeon had opened their mouths, preparing to blast him and his pokémon with special attacks. His Growlithe had turned around, orange light spilling out of his mouth as he prepared to do likewise. Nidorino and Eevee had turned around, hoping to grab or shield their trainer. None of them would make it in time.

Which was why Gary was very happy to see a hail of leaves slash at the vaporeon and a jet of water fill the enemy growlithe's mouth. Aaron had finally arrived.

Gary felt something wrap around his waist and then hoist him up.

"Gary! Why are you here?" He heard Aaron shout. "And why are they chasing you?"

Special attacks flew through the air as the trainers and their pokémon charged, targeting the source of the voice.

_Later! _Bulbasaur shouted as he carried Gary off. _Everyone, covering fire!_

Fire, water, and balls of mud flew from the other side of the clearing. Special attacks from the other trainers flew back. Bulbasaur charged through the crossfire, shrugging off the occasional blast, swinging Gary about to keep the human safe. A fire attack nearly took off an eyebrow, a Razor Leaf cut his shirt, and a Water Gun brushed by his calves, but Gary was kept unharmed.

Bulbasaur reached the other side and stashed the exhausted trainer behind a tree.

_It's clear! _Bulbasaur shouted. _And they're in position! Spring it!_

A diglett popped underground.

Five seconds later the clearing collapsed, the trainers and their pokémon falling into the pit. It wasn't too deep; the fall wouldn't even knock the breath out of some of them. But it would be hard for them to get back up. Streams of water began to gush from the sides, splattering all over the pokémon and trainers, turning the dirt walls into mud.

"Pikachu!" Ash shouted skywards, where his flying type and his electric type did battle.

A single Thunderbolt snaked out of the sky into the middle of the pit. Electricity flowed through the running waters and into the wet inhabitants. The pit was filled with yellow light and cries of pain.

"Now, Squirtle! E-Mist!" Ash's voice sounded out again.

Pidgeotto and Pikachu dived down, the remaining members of the flock hot on their tail. They positioned themselves over the pit so that their pursuers couldn't hurl special attacks at them without risking their trainers.

At the same time, Squirtle stepped up to the edge of the pit. He reared back, looked up, and then let out a spray of semi-fine mist, and kept spraying.

Pidgeotto pulled out of her dive, flew over the water type's head, spun around, and then unleashed a Gust attack. The swirling winds picked up the airborne water droplets and carried them upwards, into the diving enemies.

Gary looked at the expressions on the diving flying types. They knew that the next couple seconds were going to hurt.

Pikachu jumped off of Pidgeotto's back. He curled up, cheeks sparking as he built up power, and then suddenly uncurled, letting loose a massive Thunder attack at the same time. The column of electricity let off a buzz that was more like a roar as it spread through the tornado, through the droplets. It followed the path of the winds and ended up passing through the flock.

They joined their trainers in the pit with a series of squelches and splashes.

"Wow," Gary panted. "But then again I expected no less from my honorable rival! This merely proves that I made the correct choice-"

"Why are you here?" Ash asked his oldest human friend. "And why were they after you?"

Gary cleared his throat.

"Like you, I determined that there was something wrong with this set up," Gary explained. "Particularly when lethal force was being used. I confronted the group about what was happening, but they had been lied to and told that the digletts had started the killing first. They accused me of attempting to sabotage their chances of winning the contest and may have used violence on me. But most fortuitously, your Pikachu and Pidgeotto started their attack, and I used the distraction to attack. I think the digletts may have told my pokémon to follow them, but I simply followed my pokémon."

Gary took a breath.

"But what I must ask, is how did you figure out something was wrong?" The purple shirted trainer asked the black haired one.

"Saw a diglett being chased by pokémon who didn't want to eat it, drove them off, had Pikachu talk to the diglett, they took me back to their colony, and then I played a lot of charades," the boy called Aaron and named Ash answered.

"I see," Gary nodded. "You must be pretty close to your pokémon to be able to understand them so well," he praised his rival. "But what exactly is the problem with the dam? Why are the digletts harassing the workers?"

"Because it will flood their home," Ash replied. "I'm going to try and talk to some people at night, try and compromise with them. The diglett can build the dam for them."

"That seems like an interesting idea," Gary slumped against a tree. "Mind if I tag along?"

"If you want," Ash responded, a bit puzzled. "We'll have to wait until sundown though."

* * *

><p>The Rocket operative, the shareholder's representative, growled. It was dinnertime and reports had begun to file in. The group he had set about killing digletts had ceased all operation. Individual trainers were reporting little success in driving them off. And he hadn't heard anything from the damn reinforcements!<p>

He paced by the river that they were supposed to be damning. He needed to think of a solution to all these problems or Team Rocket's entire plan would fail-

"It was you wasn't it," he heard a female voice say. Alarm shot through him and he turned on the spot, ready to either fight or lie his way out of the situation.

But before he could do anything he found a foot in his stomach.

Stars danced in his eyes, obscuring his assailant.

"You're the one who tricked them into killing the digletts!" This time it was a male voice and the representative felt the edge of the man's hands hit a rib. It shattered under the blow, sending fiery spikes of pain through his body.

"You're a double agent! You dirty traitor!" The woman again, this time with a knee to the sternum. His sunglasses fell off and he tried to hold his chest. But someone caught his right arm.

And snapped it at the elbow. Before he could even scream though, a heel crushed his throat.

"Thought you were so clever, didn't you, Mr. good guy," the man said again, even as the representative tried to get air into his collapsed windpipe. The man tried to look up, but he felt an arm curl around his neck, a hand grab his chin, a yanking sensation-

James pushed the body down.

"Don't dump it there," Jessie scolded him, "we should toss it in the rivers. We don't want his League masters finding out about his death until it's too late."

"Right!" James replied cheerily. He picked up the body and tossed it into the river. "Now, we just need to report to headquarters."

"I'll write the report," Meowth said quickly. It was what he always did when the current sort of situation occurred. He had to spin the situation in such a way that the higher ups simply wouldn't care. It was easier when they weren't officially assigned to the operation where the casualties occurred then he could just write a report denying their involvement with lots of big fancy words that Jessie and James wouldn't catch on to.

It was a lot of work.

But it was worth it and so much more to keep them safe.

* * *

><p>The bus's breaks screeched as it came to a halt by the construction site. The door slid open and Brock and Misty exited.<p>

"So why are we stopping here again?" Misty asked Brock.

"There's been some talk about a problem with wild pokémon, murders, and other events," Brock responded. "Since we're in the area, and Aaron isn't with us, I figured we could take a day to see what all the fuss was about."

Misty took a look around.

"What's with all those news vans?" the red haired trainer asked the former gym leader. "And where are all the workers?"

"Must be a press conference," Brock said, also looking around. "Come on, it must be by the actual dam."

They looked around and found what looked like a heavily traveled trail. The two took it through the forest and came out by an overlooking view.

Before them they could see the dam. It wasn't like any dam they'd ever seen before or even read about. It wasn't made out of concrete, or squared rock, or any human sort of construction material. Instead it was made of stones and some sort of hardened earth. And yet it showed no sign of stress as the river rushed against it.

Brock looked downstream a little and saw a partially completed dam that did look like it had been made by humans.

"I wonder what happened here," he asked aloud. "Come on, let's find everyone."

They continued along the trail for a bit, until they heard voices. Brock and Misty picked up the pace a little and came to a stage, set up by the bottom of the dam. Workers and reporters were gathered all around it and there was a purple shirted young man at the podium. The boy from Pewter City and the girl from Cerulean City recognized him as Gary Oak.

"Of course, while I may have helped with the negotiations between the head of construction, and with pokémon/human relations during the construction," the boy was saying, "all of this was only possible thanks to my honorable rival, who has already left to continue on his journey and would prefer not to be mentioned by name."

Misty winced.

"You don't think," she began.

"No, I refuse to believe it," Brock's eye twitched. "He was just walking to Fuschia City. There's no way he could have gotten entangled in something like this. It was just a couple of days!"

"Yeah," Misty agreed half-heartedly. "Maybe he's talking about some other trainer that he calls his 'honorable rival'"

"His brilliant use of electrical-" Gary continued.

"Arceus dammit Aaron!" Brock and Misty face palmed in unison.

* * *

><p>AN: Like usual I'd like to thank Selm and PublicMasicator for betaing. This chapter was pretty crappy before they worked on it.<p>

I'm sorry about the delay. School has been hectic (I hate C, I hate pointers, I hate having to use char arrays instead of strings, and I hate the changes they made between the Linux 2.6x kernel and the 3.x kernel) and I've also started the job search.

I've decided to simply change around the order of the episodes for a while instead of forcing myself to find episodes that aren't as suited for adaption. So if an event you were looking forward to wasn't covered, wait a bit and see if I do it later.

Still got that one chapter and dark arc coming up. They'll be another delay before getting to them because one's longer than usual and the other requires a bit of 'research'.

Had a bit of fun trying to channel the spirit of the anime this chapter, but one of my betas managed to reign me in from the cheesier moments. This one was always planned, because hey, it had Gary Oak in it. I had no choice but to do it.

Did give me a chance to explore his character a bit. And we got to learn a little bit more about Team Rocket's past.

Anyway I should hopefully have the next chapter out sooner than this one.

Until then, review and tell me what I did wrong.


	28. Chapter 28

Disclaimer: I do not own pokemon.

AN: This chapter ended up being twice as long as expected.

To those of you asking about what had happened to Brock and Misty in the last chapter, well let's just say I sometimes forget that not everyone spends as much time on Bulbapedia as I do these days. They were dealing with the aftereffects (paperwork in this universe) of the episode where Brock gets his vulpix. There really wasn't much I could do with that episode but I wanted Brock to have that Vulpix, and the last chapter worked better without Brock and Misty playing a large role, so I left them back there for a bit. Given the episodic nature of this fic I didn't think it was a big deal if I at least mentioned the reasons for their absence within the chapter.

* * *

><p><em>This is all your fault you idiot!<em>

_How can you honestly blame me for this? _Ash replied to Pikachu, ducking under and then behind a large tree branch. A brace of silvery needles punctured the wood with a series of loud cracking noises. _It's not like I evolved their pokémon or let them know where we are or anything like that?_

Electricity buzzed, writhed, snapped, and lashed out between the trees. Falling autumn leaves were turned into ashes and then dust as Pikachu's attack lanced towards Arbok. But Arkbok had already started moving before Pikachu had even finished aiming. It sizzled out against a tree trunk leaving a blackened stain on the bark.

_No, but you're the one who didn't want to wait back at the pokémon center for Misty and Brock! _Pikachu shouted at him. _You're the one who wanted to go to the Fuschia City gym right away._

_Can we do this later? _Pidgeotto asked, landing next to Ash and Pikachu. Her feathers were warped and blackened from Wheezing's assault and she was out of breath from the intense dogfight that had been happening above the trees. _I lost Wheezing for a bit, but he'll find me again soon enough._

Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle crashed through the underbrush, covered in scratches, cuts, and odd goo.

_Meowth and those two humans are kicking our asses, _Bulbasaur informed Ash. _James has got some sort of glue gun and Jessie's pinning me down with shuriken. Meowth's been beating on Squirtle and Charmander._

_That cat's good, _Squirtle admitted. _He keeps going for Charmander to force me out of position._

_You don't need to keep protecting me! _Charmander exclaimed, glaring at the water type pokémon.

_I've got the hard shell to take the hits, _Squirtle shot back, _you don't. Just focus on attacking next time! We cool?_

_Cool, _Charmander replied through gritted teeth.

_Any word yet from Primeape? _Bulbasaur inquired.

_No, _Pidgeotto answered. _I held off Wheezing long enough for the monkey to escape, but I don't know if he found help yet or not._

_Great, just great, _Ash moaned. _We need to split up again, Charmander, you're with Pidgeotto. Lure the gasbag into ambush and then help Squirtle and Bulbasaur with Jessie, James, and Meowth. Pikachu and I got Arbok. Move out before they get here__!_

Everyone exploded back into action, crashing back through the forest before Team Rocket could regroup and renew their attack. Ash and Pikachu sprinted up a hill, away from Arbok's last known position, scrambling through undergrowth, over fallen tree limbs and under low hanging branches. The carpet of damp and dead leaves squelched under their feet, scraps of faded orange, yellow, and brown flying behind them. Heavy breaths took in deep gulps of the chilly autumn air. A few rays of sunshine fell through the leaves as the day-star peeked out from behind the gray clouds that dominated the sky. Ash missed the comforting weight of his staff, but he had been forced to drop it earlier during the fight.

The two of them leapt over a rotting log, looking around for any sign of purple. Pikachu's ear twitched.

_Rocket on our right! _Accompanying his warning came Arbok's attack, a small purple white beam aimed at the yellow pokémon. Pikachu dashed out of the way, letting it blast a little crater in leaf covered forest floor. A weak Spit Up attack, meant to knock Pikachu out most likely, leaving Ash vulnerable.

Tendrils of yellow power lashed out, buzzing through Arbok. The snake like pokémon hissed in pain and threw its body behind a tree to escape the assault. Pikachu let his attack die down.

_I got you now! _Ash's starter shouted, dashing towards and around the tree sheltering Jessie's pokémon.

"Pikachu, watch out!" Ash warned, realizing Arbok's likely plan. But by the time his words registered Arbok had already used Stockpile. Another Spit Up attack lanced into Pikachu. The electric pokémon tumbled head over heels. Ash managed to grab him out of the air and then raced off again.

Pikachu weakly stirred in his trainer's arms, moaned, and then opened his eyes again.

_Ouch, _he said. _I'm going to get that purple worm back for that!_

_Are you okay? _Ash asked, ducking behind a tree and looking back.

_Okay enough for this, _Pikachu scrambled up onto Ash's shoulder. He sniffed the air. _Over there! _He pointed out Arbok's location with a sizzling Thunderbolt. It curved around a tree, extracting a sharp hiss of surprise from the purple serpent, missed its target, and twisted upwards. The jagged yellow bolt speared upwards into the sky, eventually dissipating.

_Well, since you've let everyone know where you are, _Arbok shouted to the duo, _you should remember to act like a normal human in case people stumble over us._

Ash and Pikachu looked at each other. Arbok was being helpful...

Well, considering Jessie and James' aims and goals it made sense, but it was a bit jarring in the middle of a fight.

Ash and Pikachu dashed off again, Pikachu covering their trail with streamers of electricity, sending them writhing through the forest. Dead leaves turned to cinders glowing and floating through the air, forcing the pursing Rocket pokémon to shut his eyes.

"Primeape, hurry up please," Ash said under his breath as he weaved through trees. Pikachu sent bolts of electricity backwards, forcing Arbok to seek cover.

The human boy saw a flash of red and white up ahead: Jessie. He tried to halt his forward motion, but was unable to. Metal hissed through the air and Ash felt himself jerk backwards, into a tree. He heard several thuds around him and his clothes suddenly seemed stretched. The pokéraised child tried to move, but found the action impossible.

He looked down. Jessie had pinned him to the tree, by his clothes, with throwing knives. For some reason there were pieces of paper tied to their hilts. They looked like pamphlets.

Why...

Never mind that, more important things to worry about!

Pikachu attempted to shock her, tendrils of electric power crackling and reaching for the red haired woman, but they were diverted. James had evidently improved his lightning rods and added camouflage. The mouse like pokémon jumped in front of his trainer, growled, and started focusing on another attack, preparing to wrestle with the rods for control of the electricity.

_Get away from him you bastards! _A hail of sharp leaves whizzed through the air, cutting an unfortunate branch that happened to be in the way to pieces. Meowth's claws flashed silver and Arbok's Poison Sting flew in response. But while they were busy with that, a blast of high pressure water lanced at Jessie. The red haired woman casually side stepped the attack.

"Now, now, now, we can't be having any of that," she said in a chiding manner. "Your trainer might get hurt."

Ash had encountered them enough to know that she was referring to a stray attack hitting him, rather than them using him for a hostage. But it didn't change the reality of the situation. Team Rocket finally had him.

No, wait, Charmander and Pidgeotto were still out there. They could maybe-

Be thrown into Bulbasaur and Squirtle. The hope was nice while it lasted Ash reflected.

Bulbasaur and Squirtle managed to pick themselves back up. Charmander and Pidgeotto stirred, groaned, and then closed their eyes. Ash thought he heard some snoring from them, which quelled the sudden fear in him, which had arisen when he saw Charmander getting hurt. Weezing must have used some sort of sleeping gas on them. Thinking of which, the purple gasbag had floated back into the area, opposite Squirtle and Bulbasaur.

"Well, well, well," James rubbed his hands together. "Now we're all together. I trust that there will be no more hasty movements are your parts? Things could get dangerous." James was actually a bit surprised that they hadn't started any minor fires yet. And it would be so hard to give a powerpoint presentation in the middle of a forest fire.

"Who wants to get the equipment?" Jessie asked cheerily. "Or do we bring them back to the camp?" It would be a pain lugging the laptop, the projector, and the refreshments all the way to the area, but it would also be a pain lugging the twerp back to camp.

Ash paled. Equipment? Were they planning on torturing him? Brainwashing him? He began to struggle against the knives pinning him to the tree.

_You touch him over my- _Pikachu began, cheeks sparking as he built up power, causing hairs to rise all over the clearing.

"Shut it mouse," Meowth told the yellow pokémon. "You don't seem to realize your situation here. Pidgeotto and Charmander are out of the fight. Your trainer is constrained, Squirtle and Bulbasaur are tired, and your accuracy is shot. You-... where's Primeape?"

_Didn't the twerp send him for help or something? _Arbok asked.

_That's what I thought too, _Weezing said. _Pidgeotto was fighting defensively first, trying to delay me to let him escape, at least that's what I thought._

"So the twerp might have help on his way? We should get him out of here then, before it gets here." The cat like pokémon wiped his brow. "Still, it's better than what I originally expected."

"Why?" Jessie asked. "What did you expect."

"For Primeape to jump out of nowhere and clean our clocks when I asked that question," Meowth answered, looking back to face the two humans. "Maybe punch me in the face and-"

_Ninja Style Punch!_ A brown and red blur sped into Meowth. A red glove like fist smashed straight into the normal type's face, sending Meowth flying past Ash's tree.

_Ninja Style Kick! _A small fuzzy purple object impacted Weezing from behind. The purple poison pokémon plowed into Arbok, momentarily stunning both pokémon.

Ash blinked, nonplussed. Why was everyone screaming Ninja Style Attack all of the sudden?

Something fell between him and the Rocket human and exploded into smoke. Ash saw a dark shape in the smoke land in front of him, heard the muffled squelch of leaves. The shape moved quickly, yanking the knives out of the tree, freeing Ash.

"Quickly, this way," a high pitched voice whispered as he fell back to earth. A hand grabbed his own, and pulled him in the direction of Charmander and Pidgeotto. "Get out your pokéballs and return them!"

Ash grabbed a pair of pokéballs with his free hand, even as he was hurried along. Pikachu used his hearing to locate Ash and jump on his shoulder before the trainer had been pulled out of the smoke cloud.

As soon as Ash could see them he recalled Pidgeotto and Charmander. Twin beams of red light touched them, calling them back to their compact homes.

Bulbasaur and Squirtle took the opportunity to join Ash and the newcomer in their flight. Primeape and the new purple pokémon were right behind.

They sped away from Team Rocket, Ash struggling for a bit to get into a stable stride. Once he did so he took a look at his rescuer.

It was girl, he guessed, from the long green hair in a ponytail, tied with an orange bow. She was wearing a pink one piece outfit that he had only seen worn my female ninjas in comics. She was a couple of inches taller than him, and if he had to guess, around the same age.

Ninja clothes? That explained why everyone was shouting Ninja Style Attack earlier.

"Are you from the gym?" Ash asked the girl. He glanced back at the pokémon that had accompanied her. A venonat. He had heard that the Fuschia City gym specialized in poison types.

"Sort of," the girl replied. She glanced around, and then let go of his hand. Her blue eyes met his golden brown ones. "Do you need a moment to rest? We've lost them for a little bit, and I've heard civilians can't handle physical activity."

"I'm fine," Ash responded.

"Are you sure?" The girl inquired further. "From what I saw those weaklings caught you pretty easily."

"The fight was going on for a while," Ash protested. "And they aren't weak."

"I seem to have taken them down quickly enough," the girl retorted. She ran a hand through her hair. "But then again, maybe to someone of your level they would present a challenge." The green haired girl said 'your level' in the same way someone might refer to a rather disgusting and pathetic worm that they had just stepped on.

Ash's temper flared.

"Right and ambushing them after I've been fighting with them for half an hour shows that you're so much stronger!" The pokéraised child replied angrily.

"It was more than you could do boy," the girl said haughtily.

"You only managed to take them out because of me!"

"I could have taken those weaklings no matter their condition!"

Had Ash not been raised to be pragmatic and survival oriented he would have challenged her on that point. As it was, Poison Lance's upbringing prevented him from suggesting that bit of idiocy.

Not that it was necessary, Ash realized, as a high pitched aristocratic laugh rang out.

"Who's taken who out now?" Jessie asked. Ash, Primeape, Bulbasaur, Squirtle, the girl, and her venonat all jumped at the sound. They turned to see Team Rocket standing a little ways away.

"So the twerp called in a twerp," James said. "Seems this one has a bit of potential as well. And a precious purple poison pokémon. Maybe we should get her as well."

"That's not a bad idea," Jessie replied.

"Might not be worth the effort," Meowth warned. "But if that's what you two want to do..."

"Let's just see how she does," James suggested.

"Stand back boy," the green haired ninja girl said to Ash. "I shall handle these weaklings."

She turned to Team Rocket.

"I am Aya, daughter of Koga," she informed them. "I will be the one to bring you to justice. Go, Venonat! Stun Spore!"

"Weezing, time to see how well you learned Will-O-Wisp!" James shouted.

Blue flames rushed out of Weezing's mouth, burning away the Stun Spore and forcing Venonat and Aya to dodge.

"Primeape, attack Meowth!' Ash ordered. "Squirtle, Pikachu, combination attack on Arbok!"

Primeape charged Meowth, hand raised to deliver a brutal Karate Chop. But Meowth waited until the last second before jumping forward and slashing. Sliver flashed and both pokémon passed each other.

For a moment both stood still, standing in the position that they had finished their attacks. Primeape then groaned and fell to one knee, clutching the arm he had attacked with.

"That's payback for punching me in the face," Meowth exclaimed. "No one messes with the top cat!"

At the same time Pikachu and Squirtle took aim at Arbok, preparing to combine water and electricity in a punishing blast.

"Arbok, Mud Bomb and then Acid Gun!" Jessie ordered. Arbok bit the ground, sucking up dirt, turned the dirt into mud within his mouth, and then blasted a stream of mud pellets. It met the combination attack, grounding Pikachu's electricity, and slowing down the water. After he ran out of mud, but before the water blast could hit him, Arbok sprayed out a high pressure stream of acid. It clashed with Squirtle's attack for a moment and then both streams died down.

"I said I'd handle them brat!" Aya shouted at Ash.

"Who you calling a brat, I'm just as old as you are!" Ash shouted back.

"Nu-huh!"

"Uh-huh!"

"Nu-huh!"

"Uh-huh!"

"Nu-huh!"

"Uh-huh!"

"Twerps, twerps, you're supposed to be fighting us, not each other," Jessie chided.

_As much as I hate to agree with them, they're right, _Bulbasaur said to Ash. _We might want to get running again here..._

"Don't think you're getting away plant," Meowth said, raising his claws.

"Weezing, Sludge Bomb, Sleep Style!" James ordered. It was a misconception that the koffing-weezing family had sleep moves. It was true that they had no official sleep type moves, but they were pollution poison type pokémon. They were living chemical factories. If they wanted to create a chemical compound that induced sleep in their target, they could do so.

Pikachu, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur all reacted together, blasting the bomb with electricity, water, and Razor Leaves. Arbok, Meowth, Jessie, and James took it as an opportunity to advance.

"Fools!" Aya shouted, running forward and launching herself in a highly acrobatic flip to meet them. Venonat accompanied her, lashing out with a humming purple Psybeam at Meowth, and aiming a flying kick at Arbok.

Meowth simply sidestepped the psychic beam and continued his advance. Arbok ducked under the kick and Headbutted Venonat in the side. He moved to follow up, but a blast of water cut in front of him. The purple pokémon hissed and spat a brace of needles at Squirtle. The water type didn't dodge in time, taking them on his arm.

Aya landed in front of Jessie and James, sending a lighting fast punch towards Jame's groin. He didn't even bother trying to block. There was a painful sounding clang and a cry from Aya.

"Sorry little lady, but too many people have attacked me there to leave it unprotected," James said, surprisingly apologetic for someone who had just been subjected to a groin attack.

"Don't look down on me!" the green haired kunochi shouted. She dropped down and launched a leg sweep at him and Jessie. They both casually stepped over the attack like one might step over a puddle or a large stick.

"Form looks okay," Jessie commented, "but you need to get your center of gravity just a little bit lower. And you need to work on your speed."

"I am Aya of the ninja clan named Koga! Quit looking down on me!" screeched the green haired girl. From her low stance, in one smooth movement, she drew a kunai and threw her body into a stab that was faster than Ash could track.

James gently swayed out of the way.

"I think you were a bit too obvious reaching for your weapon there," James informed her. "Jessie, is that right?"

"Pretty much," the red haired Rocket member answered. "Still, nice job not overcommitting there, it's difficult to pull that off. Let's see how you do on the defensive now."

Aya had instantly reverted back to a fighting stance before Jessie had completed her sentence. Jessie entered her own highly acrobatic flip, but this time it was over the target instead of to it. Aya tried to slash at her, but she not only started too late to do any real damage, Jessie also casually knocked her arm away with her forearm.

The red haired Rocket woman landed in a handstand, wrapped her legs around Aya, and then from that position, used her legs to throw the green haired ninja girl.

Aya managed to twist and recover in midair. She landed in a crouch next to Ash.

"Pikachu, Electric Rain!" Ash shouted, "Bulbasaur, retrieve Venonat!"

A rapid series of Thundershocks forced Team Rocket and their pokémon to find cover behind nearby trees. The random nature of the attack made it impossible to aim, but also difficult to predict, helping to prevent a counter attack.

Vines slithered forward and grabbed the Venonat, getting it out of the area of fire before it could be hurt.

"Bulbasaur, if you have any tricks up your sleeve that could delay them for a bit..." Ash asked his plant type pokémon.

_I got one that might work, but it's pretty exhausting, _Bulbasaur said nodding.

"Good, use it!" Ash ordered.

_Pikachu, let up for a second! _Bulbasuar shouted to the electric type. Pikachu nodded and complied.

Team Rocket burst out of cover.

_Leach Net! _Leach Seeds flew through the air, but unlike usual, they burst open and started to grow mid flight. Vines grew, reached out, and tied themselves together in a net.

"Like that will work!" Meowth jumped in front of his team and slashed at the net. His claws cut through the leafy vines and for a moment it looked like Bulbasaur's attack failed.

But before he could clear the torn net, the vines somehow regrew fast enough to wrap around his limbs. He yelped and his own flight was cut short by the net.

The net entangled Team Rocket, trapping them for a couple moments while it continued to grow.

_I'm out from here on, _Bulbasaur said. _Leach Seed is very energy intensive. Normally the energy is returned with extra by draining the target, but if you force it to grow before hand you don't get any of it back. Get me back in the pokéball._

Ash complied, sending red light out to return Bulbasaur. He then grabbed Aya's wrist.

"Let's get out of here," Ash told her. "And let's not stop this time."

* * *

><p>Ash looked out over the view, as he stood panting, hands on his knees, looking out over the forested cliff edge. They were by a large, sparkling lake, most flat on the current calm day. Pikachu, Primeape, Squirtle, were sitting on the ground and against trees, also catching their breaths. Aya and Venonat were busy trying to hide the fact that they were also out of breath.<p>

Ash checked on Squirtle, who was suffering from the Poison Sting he had been hit with earlier. The trainer gave him an antidote and returned him to this pokéball. The human boy then started to tend to Primeape's wounds, using a potion and some bandages.

"Who are they?" Aya asked him. "How are they so strong?"

"No clue and no clue," Ash replied.

"I cannot accept this outcome," Aya declared. "I am Aya, daughter of Koga and sister of Janine! I will not be defeated by Rocket lowlives!"

"But you sorta were," Ash pointed out, finishing up with Primeape and turning to the green haired ninja.

_Thank ya mightily, _Primeape said, gently touching his bandaged arm.

_Bad idea idiot, _Pikachu informed him. _Bad idea._

"I was not defeated!" Aya shouted at him, getting in his face and glaring at him. "I merely had to momentarily remove myself from the area and regroup. You, on the other hand, ran away."

"Of course I did," Ash shouted back. "I'm well at running fights, I've had experience with them! Aren't you supposed to be some sort of ninja! Ya know, master of sneaky? Trained in the art of fooling?"

"And you can't even talk right!" Aya screamed back at him. "I am trained in the art of deception, it's good not well, and I would never disgrace my training in the ninja arts by using my best techniques against those low lives!"

"So you were just going to get beat up by them instead! You stupid ninja brat!"

"You can't call me brat, you were the one who was insisting that we were the same age earlier!"

"Obviously I'm older in terms of, ah, what's the word," Ash thought for a second. "Maturity, that's it!"

"Not with that vocabulary you aren't!" Aya shot back.

"My vocabulary is better than your common sense!"

"Nu-huh!"

"Uh-hu!"

"Nu-huh!"

"Uh-huh!"

"Nu-huh!"

_You know, this is the most I've heard you shout yet idiot,_ Pikachu commented. _And remember don't respond to me in front of the ninja girl._

"Why did Primeape have to find you instead of a competent ninja!" Ash shouted, ignoring Pikachu.

"I am a competent ninja!" Aya shouted back, red with anger. "You're just an incompetent pokémon trainer with stupid weak pokémon!"

That last statement had the same effect on Ash's temper as dropping a napalm bomb in a water starved forest full of oily trees.

_Aya, calm down, _Venonat trilled.

"Oh, yeah! You're a stupid weak ninja!" Ash shouted back. "I wish Primeape had found your sister or father, or anyone competent at your gym!"

"I am a competent ninja!" Aya retorted loudly. Her face was even redder. The color had even spread to the edges of her eyes.

No, wait, she was actually close to tears.

"I'll show you!" She shouted. "I'll show you that I'm a good kunoichi, you stupid brat! Wait here Venonat, make sure that he doesn't get into trouble."

And with that she stormed off into the woods.

Ash suddenly felt lower than pond scum.

_I think that was the first time you were really mean to another sentient being, _Pikachu said quietly. _Or at least that I've ever seen._

_I didn't mean to, _Ash said, looking down. Wow, he felt really awful. _I was- I just- I don't know._

_Wait, you can speak properly! _Venonat exclaimed, surprised. _How-_

_Later, _Pikachu interrupted. _We can go through this whole song and dance later. I think you lost control for a bit there. You bicker a bit with Brock and Misty, but it doesn't usually get that bad. But I guess she rubbed you the wrong way maybe? Though she was the one to escalate it. __I think there was something up with her._

_Is she going to try and attack Team Rocket by herself? _Ash asked Venonat.

_How can you speak properly? And like a human! _Venonat was, and please forgive the pun, looking at Ash all bug eyed.

_Not now! _Ash, Pikachu, and Primeape said in unison.

_Sorry, sorry, _Venonat replied. _No, she never gets that rash. She's probably just setting up traps or something. She's not usually like this though._

_Did she have a fight with anyone recently? _Ash inquired.

_Not to my knowledge, _Venonat replied. _But she says that trainers already ask so much of their pokémon, they shouldn't ask them to shoulder their personal problems as well._

_That's stupid, _Pikachu said. _Humans are too stupid to solve their personal problems without our help._

_That's not true! _Ash protested. _There are people who live with only minimal interaction with pokémon, and I'm starting to envy them._

_Fine, _Pikachu amended. _All the humans I know are too stupid to solve their personal problems without our help._

_All of my hatred._

_You have no hatred, _Pikachu replied. _Wait, I don't think that's true anymore. So what are you going to do about Aya? Venonat isn't going to be able to help you out here._

_I've got no idea, _Ash admitted. _And Venonat, do you think it's right that she doesn't want to talk to you about her personal problems?_

_I may not like it very much, but it's her choice, and I'm going to respect it, _Venonat answered. _Some humans are just like that. Something that you, a human, should know. _

_I'm bit of a failure as a human, _Ash admitted, rubbing the back of his head. _Venonat, do you think you could take me to her? I'd like to try and apologize. _

_Sure, she never bothered learning how to hide from me anyway, _Venonat responded. _Her father keeps warning her that I could get mind controlled or bewitched or something, but she never listens._

_Yeah, I know what's it's like putting up with idiots who never listen, _Pikachu said.

_Can you be serious for a moment? _Ash asked exasperated.

_We're being chased by skilled psychos who want to do something to you, that belong to an organization that we've seen do some pretty nasty stuff, _Pikachu replied. _Most of the team is down, either knocked out, injured, or exhausted. And our only back up is a temperamental ninja girl that you just got in a fight with. It's either laugh or cry._

_It's always nice to go for a good laugh, _Primeape added. _Ya never know where ya might end up._

_Considering where you currently are, that's not necessarily the best endorsement,_ Pikachu. _But enough with this, you and Venonat go talk to Aya. Primeape and I will rest here for a bit._

* * *

><p><em>She's right here, <em>Venonat said proudly to Ash. And there the green haired girl was, busy fiddling with some sharp objects and a taut rope by a large tree near the beach. She gave no indication that she had noticed them, but since she was a ninja, Ash guessed that she probably had.

"Um, hey, Aya," Ash said, crossing the rest of the distance between them.

"You, boy, who's name I never bothered to learn," Aya said without looking at him. "What brings you here, despite my instructions to stay put and out of trouble."

"It's Aaron Autumns," Ash told her. "Look, I sorta wanted to say sorry for what I said back there. You're not an incompetent ninja, but you are looking down on an enemy you shouldn't. And I think something else is buggin' you."

"They may not be mere Rocket lowlives, and I should treat them with more respect" Aya admitted, still not turning around to face him. "But I am Aya. I will defeat them."

"Couldn't you just get us back to the gym for reinforcements?" Ash suggested. "Or at least send a signal or something? Or did you do that already and are waiting for them to arrive."

"I did no such thing," Aya informed him, still working on the trap. "And I have no wish to go back to the gym today. Besides, they're between us and the gym, so I couldn't do either of those things even if I wanted to."

"Did you get in a fight or something?" Ash asked.

"That's a rather personal question, especially for a stranger I just met," the green haired ninja girl said in a flat tone, tinged with anger and annoyance.

"Sorry, but I'm guessing that you're too good to be always acting like this."

"Weren't you calling be an incompetent ninja less than an hour ago?"

"You were insulting my pokémon," Ash retorted. "I'm pretty sure in the old days that was worth a duel to the death."

"Almost anything could have been considered an issue worthy of a duel to the death in the old days, in certain areas of the country," Aya replied in a stuffy manner.

"Yeah, but still, It was a low blow on your part. I shouldn't have lost my temper though, so I'm sorry."

"So you're saying that you're the one responsible for keeping this conversation civilized? And how am I unfit for the duty?"

"You're just looking for a fight!" Aaron accused.

Aya turned to face him and sighed.

"I guess I am," she admitted. "I'll apologize for insulting you and your team."

"Thanks. Apology accepted." Ash replied.

She turned back to her work. He crouched down next to her and watched what she was doing.

This lasted thirty seconds.

"Feel free to go back to your pokémon," she told him.

"I just wanted to see what you're up to," the pokéraised child replied.

"I'm working on a trap. There, curiosity satisfied?"

"No, now I'm wondering why you are so grumpy. You could just say that you got into a fight or something."

"I don't need to tell you anything," said Aya haughtily.

"No, but you might want to," Ash offered.

The girl sighed.

"Fine," she muttered. "I didn't have a fight with anyone, not exactly. I was just reminded about some things that bother me."

"What things?" Ash asked.

"Things about my future" the green haired girl. "Nothing you would understand."

"Try me."

"No, a pokémon trainer like you would never understand," Aya said, turning to look him in the eye. "Tell me, how many pokémon do you have? How many are you planning on getting?"

"I've got six now and I'm going to get as many that want to come as I can," Ash told her. "Why?"

"Because gym trainers are expected to have moderate to large teams and I don't want any more pokémon," Aya answered. "Originally I had to work with pokémon simply because I grew up in a gym. I never really cared for it. I only started training Venonat because I figured a pokémon would be useful, though I honestly wanted to do things by myself. Now I wouldn't give him up for the world, but I still prefer to do things alone when I can."

"Oh," Ash said.

"I prefer completing tasks in a completely human way," Aya continued. "Using tools, technology, my own wits, or my ninja training. I'm not like you trainers."

"What's the problem then?" Aaron inquired. "You and Venonat already seem good."

"Weren't you listening earlier? Gym trainers are expected to have a team," Aya explained.

"Then don't be a gym trainer," Ash suggested.

"The daughter of Koga and sister of Janine not being a gym trainer? Not helping her family? The idea is unheard of!" Aya declared. "My father is probably going to be the next member of the Elite Four once a spot opens up, even if it's Agatha's spot now that Sabrina's out of the running. Janine will be the new Fuschia City gym leader, as is her right as the firstborn daughter and by her skill. And I will aid them both from the shadows as a ninja should."

"Your father is that strong?" Ash asked, remembering what he had seen Agatha and the pokémon that followed her do.

"Strength might not be the best word to describe it," Aya said. "Poison pokémon don't rely on brute power after all. It is skill, tactics, strategy, cunning, and stealth that must be utilized instead. He makes up for the lack of raw power in those areas."

"Just how good is he?" Ash asked.

"If we had been within the extensive boundaries of lands that belong to the Koga clan and the Fuschia City Gym, instead of here, on the outskirts of the Safari Zone, then those Rockets would have been captured ten seconds after entering," she informed the young trainer. "Should even Lance, Champion of the Kanto League, enter unprepared, there is a very good chance that they could be easily dispatched."

"Wow."

"As you can see, it is quite a legacy I have to support," Aya said.

"But couldn't you do that as a League trainer?" Ash asked.

"Potentially," the ninja girl admitted. "But, there are two problems with that. First, it would disappoint them."

"If they love you-" Ash began. But Aya cut him off.

"-then they'll support my decision," Aya finished mockingly. "I'm aware of that particular bit of wisdom. But it would still hurt them if I turned away from their path."

"I don't get it."

"Of course you don't," Aya rolled her eyes. "If even they know the emotion is irrational, even if they know there is no valid basis for it, they will still feel it. They will deny it, they will correct for it, and eventually overcome it, but I don't want to put them through that. They have enough to deal with as it is."

"But what about you?" Ash asked.

"They'll be enduring the burdens of a member of the Elite Four and a gym leader. I only have to endure the burden of a reluctant gym trainer."

"That doesn't seem very fair," Ash said to her. "I mean, they both want to do those things, don't they? You don't want to be a gym trainer, just a ninja with Venonat, right?"

"So?" Aya gave him a flat look. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"I mean, forcing someone who dislikes pokémon-"

"Two things wrong with what you're saying," Aya cut him off again. "First off, being a ninja is all about doing one's duty. And secondly, I don't dislike pokémon. I simply don't care one way or another about most, same with humans I don't know. See, a person who disliked humans or pokémon would take joy in their suffering. I simply leave them be." She looked around. "Take, for example, that wounded magikarp over on that large rock on the beach. If I disliked it I would either take joy from its suffering, or go over there and make it worse. If I was a person who cared... I would quit listening, abandon this conversation, and rush over to it like you're currently doing." She sighed and then gave a small smile before returning to her work.

Ash grabbed a pokéball as he ran over to the inured water type. He looked over the carp like pokémon, looking for any wounds.

_A trainer, eh? _It said. _Perhaps seeking a meal? Go ahead, eat me! I don't care anymore._

"Are you okay?" Ash asked, forcing himself to remember that he had to act like he couldn't understand pokémon. He couldn't see any obvious injuries on the water type, but why was it out of the water? It wasn't safe for it... not that anywhere was really safe for a magikarp, but still. The only reason Ash could think of off the top of his head for the pokémon to be out of the water was a recent injury that affected its ability to swim or something similar. "Here, if you want I can put you in this pokéball and take you to the pokémon center."

_And cook and eat me there? Fine. _The magikarp picked itself up a bit so it could nod its head.

Ash gently tossed the pokéball at the pokémon. After he got it treated at the center, but before he released it back here, he would have to have a talk with it about its attitude. It just wasn't healthy.

"See, things like that," Aya started speaking again when Ash came back. "I have no interest in things like that. It's a wild pokémon and I'm not going to interfere with it in its natural environment. If it decided to come with a trainer and enter the human world I would interfere, but if it's not part of the human world, my world, then I don't care about it. I bet that sounds a bit selfish to you, doesn't it?"

"Not really," Ash replied. "As you said, you're part of a different world most of the time. But it's different when it's happening right in front of you-"

"I probably won't know the best way to handle the situation and stand a good chance of making it worse," she retorted before he could finish. "Unlike you I haven't been preparing for situations like coming across wounded wild pokémon. I've been preparing to infiltrate enemy strongholds by myself, maybe with supported by Venonat instead."

Ash didn't reply. He knew not everyone had his advantages when it came to dealing with pokémon.

"But enough about me," Aya said, interpreting his silence as a sign to change topics. "Let's start talking about those Rocket mooks. Do you know why they're after you?"

"Not really," Ash replied, unconvincingly.

Liar, Aya thought to herself immediately.

"Really? No idea? That's too bad, because if we knew why they were chasing you we might be able to use that to our advantage." she stated, trying to fish the truth out of the boy.

"I don't think it would," Aaron answered truthfully. It's not like they could design an effect trap around the fact he could understand pokémon, not with Meowth on their side.

Aya picked up that he was telling the truth, and changed subjects again.

"So anyway, it's time we plan what to do about the Rockets. We can't just escape; they're between us and the gym," she said. "I've got some ideas, but I want to see if an untrained civilian can come up with any."

"Oh, I'll show you ninja brat," Ash replied.

* * *

><p>"That Bulbasaur," Meowth growled. "We'll have to take him out quickly to ensure that they don't escape again."<p>

_I've got it, _Weezing offered. _A quick high powered Will-o-Wisp should keep him down after all they've been through today._

_I'll get the Venonat and then keep the ninja girl occupied, _Arbok added.

Meowth relayed what the other two pokémon had said.

"And then I'll knock out Primeape," Meowth finished. "Thus leaving you two to take the twerps back and show them the presentation."

"I don't know if we want to bring that ninja twerp," Jessie replied. "She's skilled and spirited, but she might be too much of a good guy to work with the team."

"Well, we should at least give her the offer," James said. "It couldn't hurt."

"You're probably right," Jessie said, looking around the forest for more signs of the passing of the twerps. "We just need to focus on our goal. We need to secure Aaron first."

"It should be relatively easy," said James. "We haven't seen any signs of him being good at hand to hand combat and considering the gym members he travels with constantly try to keep him out of danger, he probably isn't any good. Even if they've been training him every day since they've started, he'll still be pretty useless in that area."

"Remember to be gentle," Jessie warned her comrade. "You don't have the same sort of fine control I do and we can't accidently hurt him."

"True, true. I'll be careful." James reassured her. "If I don't think I can take him down safely, I'll just keep track of him until you or Arbok can assist."

"Good, good," Jessie's eyes swept the forest floor. "Alright, I think I know where they are-"

She was interrupted by the hiss of deadly metal sliding through the air. She ducked, losing a strand or two of red hair to the projectile, and tracked its flight path back to its origin.

The female member of Team Rocket saw a flash of green hair disappear into some foliage. Jessie smirked. Too slow ninja girl.

"There's one!" She cried out, pointing in the direction of Aya. "The girl!"

"Smoke her out Weezing!" James ordered.

Weezing complied, sending a Smog attack into the brush that Jessie pointed at. A blast of greenish purple smoke bent small plants and rushed through, picking up bits of small debris from the forest floor. But Aya had already left that hiding spot.

Another piece of deadly metal rushed through the air, this time at James. The male human member of Team Rocket jumped to the side. Arbok hissed and spit out a Poison Sting attack, a stream of slim silver needles shimmering as they slid through the air.

Aya had already hurled another projectile, but the Poison Sting sent it tumbling, and forced Aya to dodge. She drew another weapon, but Meowth was suddenly in front of her, claws unsheathed. He swiped once, knocking the weapon out of her hand with a clang. The kunoichi jumped backward, trying to gain space, but Meowth was staying on her...

Until he landed on a trap. A tripwire broke releasing a sapling that Aya had bent. It sprang back to its full height, hurling several knives at Meowth in doing so. The cat scratch pokémon managed to intercept them all with his claws, but it left him open to Aya.

But she had been driven back by another Poison Sting from Arbok. James and Weezing took the opportunity to move up to support Meowth. Aya took note of the development.

"Now!" She shouted. A Psybeam lanced out from the treetops where Venonat was hiding, clipping Weezing. The purple gasbag lost control of its flight for a moment and crashed into the forest floor. Arbok retaliated with a Spit Up that blasted the branch Venonat was standing on to pieces.

Venonat managed to latch on to another branch and held on long enough to scatter a Stun Spore attack over the area. The wave of yellow dust descended quicker than one would have thought, but still slow enough for Team Rocket to dodge and rush after Aya, who had started to retreat.

Jessie knew what the ninja girl's game was; herd them into an area that she had most likely covered with traps. It was a good plan. Time for countermeasures then.

"Arbok, Stockpile as much as you can!" She ordered as the team regrouped and chased after the green haired girl. "Weezing, get ready to do controlled burns, please! There will be traps ahead!"

_On it! _Arbok replied.

_Very well, _Weezing agreed.

The team rushed after the girl, taking care to stay near the areas she ran over. They had to jump over two trip wires and dodge the occasional shuriken from the girl, but they closed in on her.

Venonat was hopping from branch to branch above them, firing Psybeams at Team Rocket. But the poison bug type pokémon couldn't get a good enough angle on them and his beams went wild. Their trail became pockmarked with small craters, but they were unharmed.

Aya turned to throw one of her last shurikens at the Rocket group, but James had gotten too close. He took a swipe at her. Her green ponytail whipped through the air as she launched herself into a backflip to avoid the blow. Twigs crunched under her feet as she landed just in front of a tree.

"You're done!" Jessie shouted, darting forward to finish off the girl.

"Weezing, Will-o-Wisp that venonat!" James ordered, sliding to a halt to give Jessie room to fight the girl.

"And now!" Aya shouted at the same time.

The world was filled with yellow light, crackling, and buzzing. A stream of electric power curved out from behind the tree to Aya's back. As quick as thought, it flowed out, engulfing Weezing, making the gasbag cry out in pain. The attack continued, trying to catch Arbok as well, but was unable to curve enough and ended up hitting the ground.

Venonat took the opportunity to jump out of the canopy, charging a Psybeam as he went. But Jessie and Arbok were faster.

"Guard rear!" ordered the red haired Rocket. Arbok spun around as the electric attack continued to damage Weezing, caught sight of Venonat, and unleashed the Spit Up attack that he had been using Stockpile for. Venonat released his Psybeam at the same time.

The two beams collided, the pink-purple psychic beam struggling against the larger purple white beam in the space between seconds. But Arbok's preparations paid off. The Rocket pokémon's attack broke the Psybeam and blasted Venonat.

"Venonat!" Aya cried out as she saw her pokémon get blasted back into the trees. The electric attack died down as well, leaving a signed Weezing to gently fall to the ground.

"You made sure that wasn't lethal, right Arbok?" Jessie asked, as James rushed over to check on Weezing. She stayed her assault on Aya in favor of hopefully avoiding traps or electrocution. The ninja girl took the opportunity to catch her breath. Pikachu, hiding behind the tree, listened closely, trying to pinpoint the location of the others.

_Yep, unfocused beam, and the bug's light enough to take the fall with no problems, _Arbok replied.

"He says yes," Meowth relayed. "Now, let's deal with this tree! Arbok, another blast if you would, at the tree! And keep dodging so the mouse doesn't get ya!"

"Good idea," Jessie said. "I'll do it my way. James, how's Weezing?"

The red hed darted forward while James was checking on his pokémon, sending several lightning quick blows at Aya. The green haired girl dodged to the side and started to circle around the tree to give Pikachu a clear shot at her.

But then Jessie suddenly leapt to the other side. Aya was confused for a moment, before a beam smashed into the tree and drilled into its core. They were planning to force Pikachu out of cover!

"Thanks!" Meowth said, jumping forward as the beam faded. He swept his clawed paws out, finishing off the tree. Wood cracked, boughs creaked, and there was a great crash as the tree fell back.

_Nuts, _Pikachu cursed, darting away from the danger. His cheeks sparked and he lashed out with a Thundershock to discourage any attacks.

But he hadn't taken any time to aim and so Meowth was able to pounce through the maze.

_Ninja Style Kick!_

"Not this time you dam dirty ape!" In an impressive display of acrobatics, Meowth twisted and spun in mid leap. He lashed out with his own foot, meeting Primeape's flying kick. Both legs bent and Meowth was sent backwards while Primeape simply fell. Meowth landed on all fours and then rebounded off the ground.

Claws flashed and Primeape fell back under the normal type's assault.

Pikachu winced. They had been counting on the surprise attack working.

"Pikachu, Speed Burst!" Ash's voice called out. Pikachu jumped into action on reflex, barely getting out of the way of a Poison Sting attack from Arbok.

"Shit," Aya swore as Jessie attacked once more. Aaron had revealed himself. Now they had to worry about Team Rocket going after him.

Pikachu and Arbok began to exchange attacks. Arbok kept moving and kept Pikachu on his toes, keeping him from having time to prepare a good shot. Pikachu used his superior agility and speed to avoid Arbok's attacks and keep the poison type on his... well Arbok didn't have toes, but if he did Pikachu would be keeping him on them.

"Weezing's fine," James shouted, returning his pokémon to its pokéball.

"Good, get the other twerp then!" Jessie suggested, casually disarming Aya of her last knife. James nodded and then ran off to where he had heard Ash's voice.

Ash swore under his breath from his hiding spot, twenty yards away in a bush. He ran out, hoping to escape, but James' longer stride proved to be too much.

James grabbed the pokéraised child's wrist. Ash attempted to use a throw Brock had been teaching him, but James adjusted his weight and stance to counter.

_Cunt mothering fucker! _Ash swore again as James forced him to the ground and restrained his arms with a coil of rope that he drew from his pocket.

"I'll have to ask Meowth what you said," James told Ash, "so we know whether or not we need to wash your mouth out with soap."

"Why do you care? You're evil!"

"Good point."

James forced the boy back to the site of the battle. Aya was covered in sweat and down to one knee from exhaustion, a calm and not out of breath Jessie looking down on her. Meowth had Primeape backed up against a tree. Only Arbok and Pikachu were still battling.

_Oh, dammit all, _Pikachu swore when he saw James marching Ash towards them.

_I'm commin for ya partner! _Primeape shouted, galvanized into action by his trainer's situation. He attacked Meowth with a flurry of punches, his fist seemingly multiplying into a group of red blurs. But Meowth ducked, dodged, and leaned back, and then swiped once with his claws.

Primeape cried out in pain and fell back, looking at the angry scratches on his fist.

"And stay down!" Meowth ordered.

"It's over twerps," Jessie announced. "So you can just give up rodent. Same goes for you girly."

Aya grimaced. Pikachu growled and launched another electric attack at Arbok. He couldn't give up, he needed to think of something to do to help Ash.

"I said give up rodent!" Jessie shouted. "We've got your trainer, Primeape's lost, and your comrades are knocked out. We've got your trainer and there's nothing you can do. There's no help coming either! You've lost! Now please just give up before we have to hurt you."

Pikachu stood on all fours, growling, cheeks sparking, keeping Arbok in view. He had a good shot, but he didn't know if he could take them all out at once. And he had to trust Primeape to keep Meowth from interfering, something he wasn't sure the fighting type was up to in his current state.

Maybe it would be better to surrender and stage an escape later? But he didn't know if there would be an opportunity to. The dilemma tore at him, seconds passing like minutes as his mind raced. Until something interrupted his train of thought.

_Oh, for the hate of Arceus! _A new voice cried out. Both James and Ash flinched as a pokéball on his belt burst open.

Out flopped the magikarp from earlier.

"When did you-" James said.

"Why did you?" Jessie asked.

_Will you just leave this nice boy alone? _The magikarp asked, lying on its side on the forest floor. _I'm pretty sure he was going to finally do me a favor and put me out of my misery. And then you come along and try to take him away! I'm not standing for this!_

"Meowth, what's going on?" James asked the normal type as Arbok's and Pikachu's expressions went bland and they titled their heads in confusion.

"I think... it's trying to tell us to let the twerp go?" Meowth replied cautiously. "I'm not too sure what's going on here either."

"Well, sorry, but we're not letting him go," Jessie said to the magikarp. "Now, if you would please get back into your pokéball..."

_No! Let him go or I will be forced to resort to violence!_

"I think it's threatening us," Meowth relayed. "Uhh... I'm not sure how to respond, other than to say, sorry, but we're not letting him go-"

Magikarp flopped up into the air, came down, and then bounced over at Meowth. Meowth, not expecting the magikarp, the weakest and most pitiful of all pokémon, to attack, was caught flat-footed as the pokémon smacked into his face. It was just as surreal as being attacked by an enraged earthworm, where the beast's assault actually managed to sting. A little bit. Not too much though. The water type bounced off and soared at Primeape, who caught him by the tail on reflex.

Magikarp held himself ramrod straight in Primeape's grip, closing his eyes and tensing up, turning himself into a fish shaped club.

_Come on, _he said to the Primeape. _Let us do battle against these miscreants together!_

Arbok, Meowth, Pikachu, Ash, Jessie, and James all stared at the unusual occurrence trying to process what was happening. They were all reasonably intelligent, rational individuals and having the world make sense was important to them. It was only natural that they would freeze up for a brief time while trying to work weird events into their worldview.

Primeape was, to put it diplomatically, not in the same category.

Before Meowth could finish processing the idea of a magikarp attacking him by flopping at him he was once more smacked across the face by the said magikarp. But harder this time, because an annoyed and enraged Primeape was adding his own strength to the attack.

One arm was down, and one fist was rendered unusable for punching from Meowth's claws, but the arm attached to that fist was still fine and the hand could still grasp. That made a weapon an ideal solution to the problem of how to injure the annoying cat pokémon.

Meowth tumbled backward across the forest floor, coming to a stop by Arbok.

"Da hell?" The cat like pokémon asked, staring skyward.

Primeape sprinted forward, letting loose a war cry, holding Magikarp above his head like a barbaric war club. James' eyes widened as he realized the crazed fighting type was coming for him.

Arbok hissed, drew back its head, and prepared to fire off another Poison Sting attack. But he paused when he heard an evil sounding giggling coming from Pikachu.

_Thunder time! _Pikachu shouted gleefully, lighting up with power. A column of electricity rose up from the yellow pokémon and arced over, blasting Arbok. The cobra like pokémon hissed in pain, jerking and twitching while in the grip of the attack, falling over, smoking slightly, when the attack finished.

Ash stomped on James' foot and rolled forward to escape his grasp. The Rocket man yelped and starting back-pedaling to escape the fish flailing Primeape. Jessie took stock of the situation.

"Well, time to go," she said, returning Arbok to his pokéball. "Let's retreat for now!"

"Sure thing, Jessie," James agreed. "Time for Team Rocket to blast off again!"

Jessie ran towards him, taking a brief moment to scoop up Meowth on the way. She stuck a leg out as she passed Primeape (who was focused on James), tripped him up, and then put on a burst of speed to catch up with her fellow Rocket. Primeape fell flat on his face, dropping Magikarp.

"They're getting away," Aya said, recovering the knife Jessie had taken from her. "If we hurry-"

"One group is getting away from the other," Ash told her. "Let's not be picky about which is which."

"I guess you're right," the green haired girl replied, a bit sheepish. "Venonat! I need to make sure he's okay!" She took off in the direction that the bug type had been blasted.

"Wait," Ash cried out. "Before you go, do you think you could untie me?"

* * *

><p><em>So Nurse Joy says there was nothing wrong with you, <em>Ash said to Magikarp. _If that's the case, why were you lying there like you were injured._

The pokéraised child, Pikachu, and Magikarp were sitting around a private bedroom room in a small pokémon center adjacent to the Fuschia City gym. The rest of Ash's team was being cared for by the staff. Aya was busy giving a report to her father. Pikachu rested on the top bunk, Magikarp on an ottoman, and Ash sat on the bottom bunk.

_Oh, I was hoping someone would eat me, _Magikarp answered. _Didn't I already tell you this? Back when you were pretending not to understand me._

_I thought you might be delirious_, Ash answered. _I'm still not sure that you aren't. Why do you want to die?_

_My fourth mate just got eaten, _Magikarp replied, far too cheerily for the subject matter. _And my ninth child as well. That's both the ninth child I had and the ninth child of mine that's been eaten. I figured that I wasn't very successful at this whole 'life' thing, so I decided to quit._

_Wow, your luck is horrible,_ Pikachu said.

_It's a bit worse than your average magikarp, _Magikarp conceded. _Most usually have one or two children survive and only go through three mates. If they aren't eaten themselves that is. _

_That's horrible! _Pikachu gasped. _The survival rates should be closer to fifty percent than zero._

_From a human perspective, that's not much better, _Ash replied.

_Like you've got a decent human perspective_, Pikachu retorted.

_I try to._

_Anyway, I take it you aren't going to eat me? _Magikarp asked. _If so, do you have any pokémon that are hungry? Perhaps a pidgeotto? The pokémon that ate my third daughter was a pidgeotto. I talked to her as she was digesting. She apologized for eating my child, awfully polite of her. Most predators don't do that. But it was unnecessary, she was hungry and needed to eat and there aren't enough resources to go around unless you're with humans, I understand how it goes. We chatted for a bit, she had some lovely stories about the Pallet area. She even helped me find the bones so I could mourn my daughter properly. What was her name... ah, Pidgeotto, right. So if you have a pidgeotto on your team, you could have them eat me._

_Out of the question,_ Ash replied, not mentioning that he was pretty sure that the pidgeotto Magikarp was talking about was Pidgeotto on his team. _How about you travel with us instead?_

_What's in it for me?_ Magikarp asked.

_We get into plenty of dangerous situations! _Pikachu offered brightly. _If you want to die, you could do worse than traveling with us!_

_Pikachu,_ Ash groaned. _That's not-_

_Lots of dangerous situations you say?_

_We've been caught between the crossfire of a member of the Elite Four and a gym leader before, _Pikachu replied. _And that's just one of the many interesting and dangerous things we've come across. If you travel with us, your chance of dying in some strange and interesting way will surely increase._

_Interesting and dangerous? I can't say I've led a very interesting life, _Magikarp mused. _Dangerous, but not interesting. It would be a nice change of pace... I'm in._

_That is the strangest recruitment speech I've ever heard, _Ash stated, mostly to himself.

_Worked didn't it? Anyway I hear a human coming, act like you can't understand us._

Aya entered the room.

"So I reported what happened to my father," she told the pokéraised child. "And he had one of the pokémon he had tailing me confirm it-"

"He has pokémon tailing you?" Ash was surprised at this development.

"Of course," Aya replied, rolling her eyes. "He's a ninja father. It's to be expected. Part of the reason I wasn't too worried about those Rockets when I saw they weren't going to try and kill either of us. I'm training so I can spot them better, so next time maybe I can use it to send a message or something. But anyway he decided to give you this." She held out her hand. In it was a vaguely heart shaped purple badge, the Soul Badge. "He felt that the battle against Team was enough of a test. I also have your advancement for you."

"Thanks," Ash said, accepting the badge and then the wad of bills. "But I feel a bit weird about this. I feel like I get too many gym badges without having to battle the gym leader."

"Badge battles are just tests," Aya told him. "And you only use tests when you need to figure something out. Plenty of trainers get badges without battles with the gym leader, usually through battles alongside the gym leader, but there are plenty of other ways as well."

"Oh," Aaron replied, rubbing the back of his head. "I still feel like I should challenge him or something."

"You'll have to wait then," Aya informed him. "He's busy talking with two other League members, a former gym leader and a gym trainer. Actually that was partly why he decided your fight with the Rockets was enough; those two were consulting him on strategies to deal with them." She frowned, tapping a finger on her chin. "It was odd though. They grew agitated while I described our encounter. I wonder..."

"Uh, could you tell me who they were," Ash asked, growing nervous.

"Of course. One was Brock, formerly gym leader of Pewter City, and the other was a red haired gym trainer from Cerulean City whom's name I do not know. " Aya answered. "If you're thinking about talking to them about your encounter with Team Rocket I would advise against doing so in the immediate future. Last I saw them they were in a very bad mood."

"Of course," Ash muttered, lying back, covering his eyes with his cap.

_Awww, don't worry. They'll only want to kill you because they care._

Ash just groaned.

* * *

><p>AN: Alright I had one goal for the Fuschia City Gym chapter when I was planning which eventsepisodes to adapt. That goal was: have Ash catch a Magikarp. As I got closer I added some others. One was for Jessie and James to make another attempt at Ash, they haven't done so since Chapter Fifteen and the last time they really interacted was on the SS Anne I think. There was the brief encounter on the beach during Chapter 19, but since there was no dialogue between them it doesn't count. Another goal was to have Ash bounce off someone his own age for a bit, get in a childish fight, show that he's still 10 or 11. I thought it would take 5K words, but this all ended up taking 10K.

Anyway, moving on. This fic recently got a tvtropes page, thanks to The Wandering Cat. Just google tvtropes fanfic Symbiosis if you want to take a look. For those of you who don't know what tvtropes is, it's a site that discusses the various aspects of fiction. It's great for a quick break, when you only have a bit of time and need to do something that won't suck it all up, you know, for quick five minute visits-

Sorry, even my withered and vestigial conscience won't let me tell that lie. It's actually a huge time sink unless you know the secret to partial immunity. Don't go on unless you've got a nice chunk of free time. (On an unrelated note, this makes me pity my From Dust readers. They don't know how evil and sadistic I can be. Not _yet_ at least.)

If you're a troper give the people working on the page a hand. They're putting in way too much effort in my opinion. If you aren't, just give it a glance.

There are a couple of little errors: Bulbasaur never had a trainer before, the Great War was before Team Rocket's time and it affected the whole world and not just Kanto, Atsushi was just an accountant who worked at the gym, he wasn't even a trainer (he shares the name with a fighting type trainer in the games, as my research revealed when I tried to figure out why they thought what they did. The tropers gave me too much credit with that one), and a couple of other little things, but I won't mention anymore.

Moving on to upcoming events. School's getting busier as I approach graduation and search for a job. Expect more delays.

The next chapter I have planned hinges on what I'm starting to suspect is unsubstantiated fannon and even if it isn't, it will be a bit... experimental I don't think that's the best word, but meh. I'll say this now, if you're not liking it, quit reading and leave a review saying why, and just wait for the next chapter.

As long as I'm doing confessions, everyone who's looking forward to the events of the first movie in this timeline... don't. Nobody's going to like the way I'm going to handle it, not even myself. But there's only one way I can handle it with the later events I have planned. Look forward to the other movies instead. Most of you might like what I've got planned for Mewtwo, just not the first movie, but I can't be sure.

Let's see, other issues. Oh, right. Sometime between now and the next chapter, I'll be changing the rating to M due to all the death. I'll put up a notice when I do so, maybe edit a couple chapters at the same time. Looking back over my work, I seem to be horrible at non-dialogue question marks.

Anything else? I'd like to thank PublicMasticator for beta reading and Selm for trying despite internet connections.

Please leave a review. Tell me what I did wrong. Tell me what I did right. Tell me why I should die a horrible death. Tell me why my writing is a crime against humanity, dreams, love, light, and hope itself.

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	29. Chapter 29

Disclaimer: I do not own pokemon

Gossip is a curious thing. Though it is often demonized it is also an essential feature of human socialization. It helps form bonds within groups and it helps to keep everyone up-to-date on their peer's lives. Without gossip human society would not be as cohesive as it is. Given that much of humanity's power lies within its social abilities, being able to cooperate in large groups, one could say that gossip is necessary for humanity to exist.

However with gossip come rumors. Unsubstantiated statements, misinformation, hurtful things, harmless things, wonderful things, horrifying things, fun things, deadly things, rumors are all that and more. They spread through all forms of gossip, jumping from ear to ear, computer to computer, and phone to phone. They can almost resemble living things: they have an origin, they grow, they change, and they eventually die.

The most interesting part about rumors though, is their origin. There is always something there, something real, even if the resulting rumor bears no resemblance to that thing. A cyborg monster under the bridge? A drunken hobo who flipped a trash can over themselves. An eldritch tear in the world from which the screams of the damned ring out? Wind in some sort of tunnel (Mystics wouldn't let anyone else near an eldritch tear in the world, such a thing would be too valuable of a resource to share. Sorcerer kings had gone to war over such things, soaking the earth with the lifeblood of humans and pokémon alike, just for five minutes alone with such a thing.)

Sometimes though, it is easy to see the truth behind a rumor. A crazed machamp wreaking havoc in a mountain range? Bruno needed to do a better job of keeping his team away from alcohol. An alien invasion of a power plant? A magnezone was looking for a new home. A garden growing overnight? A bunch of plant type pokémon decided to rest there.

Even more rare is when the rumor is almost completely true. A plague of dragons eating people? Lance was attacking a criminal stronghold. Silph Co. had created a digitial pokémon? Porygon. A gym leader quitting his gym to follow some newbie trainer, along with a gym trainer related to three gym leaders who also decided to follow the same newbie trainer?

...

Nah, that one couldn't be true. It was just ridiculous.

The point being, rumors couldbe anywhere from laughably false to nearly spot on. And they spread throughout all communities, to all communities. A rumor might start among some sort of electronic community, spread to a retirement community, leap to bankers, trickle into the security guards, be carried to a pub and spread to all sorts of different social groups from there.

It could race through the criminal underworld like fire in a dry forest, reaching even the heads of criminal groups in no time. From there it could slowly make its way to the opposing communities, the League and law enforcement, from their streetwise contacts. It would spread slower there, giving the criminal elements more time to ponder it, more time to decide whether or not to investigate.

Such was the case with the rumor that there was a pokéraised child among a herd of kangaskhan in the Safari Zone, no older than five, who also had a rudimentary grasp of human languages.

The rumor was heard by the scheming and cunning head of Team Rocket, by the fanatical heads of Team Aqua and Team Magma, the mysterious head of Team Galaxy, and by the disinterested ruler of the criminal element in Unova, who eventually saw a different opportunity if the rumor turned out to be true.

Each head had to consider the probability of such a rumor being true, the risk/reward ratio, best plan of action, and the time to react. How many should they send and how fast. And since it was in Kanto, how would they deal with Team Rocket, who ruled the criminal underworld there.

Shinji Burrows and Sakura Olafson, the two mid-level Rocket executives commanding the ten man combat team that were camped out on the edge of the Safari Zone, didn't know most of those details. They knew their mission and that was enough.

Shinji Burrows was on the bulky side of a medium build and slightly taller than average. He kept his black hair cut short in front to keep it out of his brown eyes, and a bit longer in back. His frame was covered by the gold trimmed black Rocket executive uniform that was just barely doing an adequate enough job of keeping him from wishing that they could build a fire. It was a moonless night and the Team Rocket delegation was camped out on the border of forest and grassland. The executive sat there, doing minor tasks to distract himself from the cold.

"I told you that you should have packed warmer," the other executive, Sakura Olafson chided him. She was wearing a woolen long coat over her athletic frame, and gloves, hiding most of her caramel colored skin. Her light blonde hair was kept in a low ponytail at the back of her head. She was looking at her fellow executive calmly, her brown doe like eyes showing neither pity nor pleasure at his suffering.

"I did," Shinji replied. "But we lost some equipment when that last ferry lost our luggage and I didn't pack any backups because it would've slowed us down."

"See if any of the men have spares," Sakura idly suggested.

Shinji shook his head.

"Already checked," he informed her.

"Then just take one of theirs," she told him coldly.

"No need," the male executive replied. "I can stand it."

"There's no need to take the risk of you getting sick," Ms. Olafson said to him. "It would be better if one of the combat team got sick; we can afford to sacrifice one of them."

"Our performance will look better if we keep them alive and healthy," Mr. Burrows retorted. "We'll get bigger bonuses that way."

"That's only if the rumor is substantiated," the blonde woman replied. "We have no way of knowing if there is a pokéraised child that can adequately speak human languages as well in the Safari Zone. Although, the fact that the rumor states that he was taken in by kangaskhan does add credence to the story. That sort of behavior would not be out of character for that species of pokémon."

"Doesn't matter," said Shinji. "If the rumor is true, just think of everything that we could do with that child. We could use wild pokémon as spies, trick League members, interrogate pokémon, get better data on our experiments, and track down the more powerful wild pokémon. Just think of the promotions and money we'll get if he exists."

"Yes," Sakura replied, uninterested. "I'm certain we will be greatly rewarded if our mission is successful. But we must consider how we're going to capture said child. We might need to restrict the number of kangaskhan we kill when we attack the herd; it will make him more willing to cooperate. On the other hand if we sedate him after capturing him and let the specialists back at headquarters work on him, casualty rates won't matter as much. We could also break him as we go along, but then we run the risk of killing him."

"Sedate him," Shinji answered. "It'll be safer than breaking his limbs."

Neither one batted an eyelash as they discussed torturing a child.

"You know, I wonder why we don't just make a child who can understand both human languages and pokémon," Shinji said.

"There are several reasons," Sakura replied. "You're not the first to come up with the idea. The first problem is nobody is sure how pokémon communicate; there's indication that they have a complex language on par with most human languages, that somehow works by each pokémon saying the name of their species or parts of that name. Since that can't be all there is too it, most postulate that there's something going on, either with body language, or something more exotic, like psychic activity. Not every human is capable of learning the language it seems. Secondly there's the difficulty of trying to balance their comprehension of the two languages. Most of the pokéraised children, even when they learn a human language, can only communicate with us as well as a pokémon. It's just as useful to play charades with a pokémon as it is to talk to them. And with the ones that were part of an experiment, they could only understand the pokémon language at about the same level."

"Thirdly," the female Rocket executive continued. "There's the expense involved. You have to get a child, a collection of pokémon, feed them all, teach the child both languages, ensure their cooperation, and so many other factors, some of which involve either advanced equipment. Team Rocket doesn't have the resources to do such a thing. Very few people have them nowadays. That's part of why this child is so special; if he already has some grasp of human languages at this age, and is fluent in the pokémon language, then there's a high probability that he can become fluent in both."

"If he exists that is," Shinji added. "So how are we going to go about finding him?"

They continued to plan until two members of the combat team arrived to take the next watch.

* * *

><p>"What are we waiting for?" Asked a tall and skinny man, with light blue hair, dressed in a black and white striped shirt, blue pants, and a blue headband. The blue headband was adorned with a horizontal white oval, with a triangle coming up out of the middle of the top part, and two half bones coming out of the bottom half. It was the symbol of Team Aqua. His name was Jimmy Newlands and he was one of the three mid-level members of Team Aqua that had been sent to investigate the rumor in the Safari Zone.<p>

The group was setting up their camp, erecting tents and unrolling sleeping bags. They were camped out by one of the many lakes within the Safari zone, surrounded by lush vegetation.

"For your night vision," Juliet Kondo told him. She was a pale woman, with a pockmarked face and long black hair. "So how we supposed ta track this kid?"

"He's with a herd of kangaskhan," Jimmy told her.

"So?" Juliet asked, uncomprehending.

"A herd. What comes in mind when someone says herd?" Jimmy glared at her. "Normally one thinks of grazing and wide open spaces. Plains, grasslands, or similar terrain. It won't be that difficult to find him and bring glory to Team Aqua! We could start looking now! No need to wait and delay our righteous cause!" His voice increased in volume as his passion grew.

"So we can trip and break our necks on a tree root?" Juliet rolled her eyes. "Sounds real glorious."

"What part of grasslands don't you seem to get?" Jimmy glared at her.

"Shut up both of you," spoke up the third member of their group, Akiko Watanabe. "We'll wait until morning before we begin searching." She was a slim woman, with short brown hair. She was also dressed in a Team Aqua uniform, like the other two.

"The longer we delay-" Jimmy began, but Akiko cut him off.

"I'm well aware that there might be others searching for this child," she told him. "But the fact remains that we're all tired, even if you refuse to admit it, and will function better after some sleep. We stand a better chance of retrieving the rumored child if we're aren't busy trying to keep our eyelids up."

"Don't you care-" Jimmy tried again, but once more Akiko cut him off.

"Of course I care!" Her own voice began to rise. "This child could accelerate our plans tenfold. With his abilities, or at least the ones he's said to have, he can help us locate ditto-born Kyogres!"

"Ditto-born?" Juliet asked. Akiko rolled her eyes at her teammate's ignorance.

"The offspring of a legendary and a ditto," she informed Juliet. "Strong pokémon, but nowhere near as strong as the legendary parent. You occasionally see high level trainers with them. I'm pretty sure that there's at least one in Hoenn with an articuno. The point is that the child could help us undo the damage humanity has done to the seas; help to atone for the sins of his species and destroy the facilities of pollution!"

"Fine," grumbled the male of the group. "I'm just worried that my sister-"

"Her group of land-shits won't be able to catch up," Juliet rolled her eyes. "We sabotaged their jeep, remember?"

"They could've easily gotten a new one," Jimmy informed her.

"They can do that?"

Jimmy and Akiko rolled their eyes in tandem.

* * *

><p>"We should start a fire," the golden haired young man suggested. He was wearing grey-black pants, with a red belt, and a grey-black sleeveless shirt that disappeared under a grey-red mantle, with a hood and black ears on said hood. Over his chest, on the mantle, was the symbol of Team Magma. He and his two compatriots were sitting on their sleeping bags in a circle, on a rocky hill in the Safari Zone.<p>

"I'm sorry Barclay, but we can't afford to risk it," replied a woman with light blue hair. She was wearing a uniform similar to the first speaker, Barclay Yoshida, but with a short grey-black skirt instead of pants.

"And why not?" protested the golden haired man.

"Because it would be too visible," the last member of their group, a short green haired man, Christopher Eberstark, informed him. "It would give away our position to anyone who happened to be paying attention."

"So?" Barclay asked. "If they come for us, we can just burn them too."

"I'm afraid we can't afford any wildfires on this operation," the blue haired woman told him, Alice Newlands. "As tempting as a prospect as it is to kill my brother in such a manner, you might endanger the child we're searching for."

"Though we should be prepared to take out any potential rival groups," Christopher said. "We'll need to stay hidden while we search, so we can prioritize eliminations vs searching, figuring out who we should kill-"

"Why bother with that?" Barclay spoke up again. "Just kill them all."

"That's not why we're here," Alice reminded him. "We're here to look into the rumor and possibly retrieve the child, if he exists, as you well know. The retrieval of said child will be of far more benefit to Team Magma than killing off any rival teams here."

"Fine," Barclay gritted his teeth. "If it means we find Lord Groudon sooner, then I'll restrain myself."

"Very good," responded Alice. "It'll put us one step closer to our holy cause."

Barclay nodded. Yes, one step closer to the holy cause. Wiping away the corrupt and sinful human civilization which had committed so many crimes against nature. Burning all the humans, and building new habitats for the pokémon species that had been harmed by humanity. He'd put up with other humans to achieve that goal; he put up with not burning things for that.

He'd even ignore the piss-heads to do so.

* * *

><p>"Do you know how much longer she will take?" Asked a green haired man. He was clad in knee high silver boots, black pants, a silver shirt with two black sections on the lower sides, with a high collar with a black strip. His sleeves were made out of some sort of shiny, segmented material. Over his chest was the golden G that marked him as a member of Team Galactic.<p>

"I cannot tell," replied a man with dark blue hair, also in the uniform of Team Galactic "You know the way in which she works the Art can be time consuming, but it is always accurate."

They both turned to look at the black haired woman. Her uniform was similar, but the pants looked like her sleeves. She was sitting in a lotus position and softly murmuring a chant, over and over. She was sitting before a pool of clear water, dark in the moonless night.

"The scrying spell will complete when it completes," the man with dark blue hair said. "We cannot rush such things." He briefly narrowed his eyes in focus. A pack opened and a sleeping bag unrolled itself. "It is a shame that my talents are merely telekinetic," the blue man said, mainly pondering aloud, "a telepath would have been much more useful."

"It does us no good to think on such things," spoke the last member of their group, a man with purple hair. "Instead we should either begin making our plan of action or working on our emotional control."

"There is little we can do until her scrying spell finishes," the green haired man replied.

"-rupam sunyata sunyataiva rupam; rupan na prthak sunyata!" the black haired woman's voice picked up in volume and the water before her began to glow. Her eyes snapped open. "It is done."

The other members of the Team Galactic delegation gathered around the pool.

"There are twelve humans here," the woman spoke and the face of the water reflected her words. Team Galactic saw the Team Rocket group in their camp, the scrying spell illuminating the scene with a light that the members of Team Rocket could not see.

"Two executives," the blue haired man observed. "The rest are either grunts or a combat team. I expected more from them, seeing as they control this territory."

"They may be expecting little resistance, or have data that indicates that the rumor is false," the green haired man told him. "Still, as long they remain unaware of us they will pose no trouble at all."

The black haired woman nodded. The image in the water changed to show the three members of Team Aqua.

"Team Aqua," the purple haired man stated. "I cannot tell their strength from appearance alone."

"Have you had a chance to look at their pokémon," asked the green haired man.

The black haired woman shook her head.

"They have kept them in their pokéballs and I lack the skill to scry through those."

"They may prove troublesome," the blue haired man reflected.

"There is more," the black haired woman said. Once more the face of the water changed.

"Team Magma. This may solve our problem," stated the purple haired man. "If we can goad those two into fighting then we may move about undisturbed until we either retrieve the child or finish off the survivors."

"There is no need to goad them into fighting," disagreed the green haired man. "It is in their nature to fight each other, helpless in the grip of their emotions."

"A waste," the black haired woman said.

"I agree," the blue haired man added. "If we find this child we may accelerate our plans to fix the Mistake."

"All will be better when we fix the Mistake," the green haired man said. "Are there any others?"

The picture in the water changed again to show no one in a forested and rocky area nearby Team Galactic's own position.

"I thought I sensed someone here," the black haired woman stated. "But it turned out to merely be my own failings in the Art."

"It is no matter," the blue haired man dismissed her concerns. "We know who opposes us. Now we must make a plan of action."

* * *

><p>"And they have a spellcaster as well," Jessie said, rubbing her hands together. "Is it good form to poach from other bad guys?"<p>

James tapped his chin as he thought. He, Jessie, and Meowth were sitting around a cave, on a bunch of comfy folding chairs, under a tarp ceiling held up by four poles that kept any water from dripping on them. Near the back of the small cave, also under a tarp ceiling, was a small field kitchen. Before them was a projector and a screen for the upcoming Movie Night.

Weezing slept in his pokéball and Arbok's tail was curled around Jessie's legs, and he was contentedly resting on a couple of heated camping pads. A couple of electric lanterns hung from the corners of the false ceiling. Jessie was reading a book while James fiddled away on some electronic device or other.

"I don't think we should," Meowth spoke up. "They're here for a reason and nobodies said anything about letting other bad guy groups to work in Kanto."

Meowth frowned. He couldn't remember the last time Team Rocket had let a foreign group into their territory. He had overheard talk about it, but nothing more recent than around a decade ago.

"I guess that makes sense," Jessie admitted. "So I wonder why they're here?"

"It's probably related to why those Aquas and Magmas are around," James told her. "Honestly if we get involved it might take all day tomorrow-"

"And that's unacceptable," Jessie finished. "We can't miss Movie Night."

"So what should we work on in the meantime?" Jessie asked the other two. "We've got most of tomorrow to kill."

"We could watch and find out what everyone's up to," James suggested.

"We'll have to take extra care not to be caught then," Jessie cautioned. "And we'll have to withdraw early to make sure we don't get caught up in anything. Though maybe we should offer our comrades some help?"

"Nah,"James waved away the suggestion. "We can't do everything for them. Besides, Move Night."

"Alright, then strictly observation tomorrow."

"Sounds like a plan," Meowth said before yawning. "Now if you'll excuse me, I gotta turn in. It takes a lot of sleep to remain the top cat ya know."

"Sounds like an idea," James agreed. "Let me just set up the security cameras first."

"You've got first watch then," Jessie informed him, stretching and yawning. She got up, grabbed her pack, and pulled out her sleeping bag. "Maybe we should look for the twerp tomorrow instead."

"We can decide in the morning," James told her. "Besides I'm not sure if he and his friends are going to visit the Safari Zone or simply head to the next gym."

"He'll probably head on, he seems like the type who's in a hurry to get their badges," Jessie said, unrolling her badges. "It's unlikely that'll he'll be in here tomorrow."

* * *

><p>It was a bright and cloudless morning. Despite the shrinking hours of the season, the sun still managed to shine with its full glory by the time Brock, Misty, Ash, and Pikachu arrived at the Safari Zone check in station. Thus far it seemed like it would be a warm autumn's day. The air was calm and could have been easily mistaken for a cool spring day instead of a warm autumn one.<p>

Ash and company could see a large forest off in one direction, surrounded by the tall grass that they were currently trekking through. Their destination was a small collection of buildings right dab in the middle of nowhere. They had left a nearby pokémon center earlier that day, before the sun was up, and had spent a couple hours travelling.

Ash was sticking to the rear of the group, despite being the one who chose the destination, hoping not to draw Brock or Misty's attention. They were still a little... aggrieved about what had happened during the time the group had been separated. Brock had decided to increase his training regimen again and had tried to get involved with Aaron's pokémon training, but Ash, called Aaron, had drawn the line there. There had been a brief clash of wills until Misty decided to play peacekeeper.

But, even though she was a neutral party, she occasionally shot dark looks at Ash, glares with one eye twitching.

"I can't believe you," she had said at one point after their reunion. "We leave you alone for a little bit and what happens? You get involved in an illegal construction operation and you get attacked by those Team Rocket psychos again."

"Hey," Ash had protested at the time. "I didn't do anything!"

"You trapped a bunch of trainers," she retorted, "fought a flock of flying types. Again. That sounds like something. Maybe I should assist with your training."

Ash had backpedalled quickly there. Brock was bad enough, but at least his temper was more stable.

Part of him felt smothered by their reactions. But another part of him was pleased. It was nice to have someone care for him, someone his own age (and species) looking out for him, and the training definitely would come in handy one day. Poison Lance would be happy to hear about his companions.

He would be less happy to hear about what Ash had gotten up to on his journey though. He might insist on coming with himself. Ash paled for a moment. That probably wouldn't end well. Ash would have to find some way to dissuade the old weedle from deciding to do so.

Still, despite Brock and Misty's worrying, it was still his journey. He was the one letting them travel with him, not the other way around. If he really wanted he didn't have to travel with them.

Not that he would ever push Brock or Misty away. Unless they went insane or something. Or maybe they were already insane and he simply couldn't tell. Then would it be if they went sane he'd push them away? It was something to ponder.

Regardless, the point was that he was okay with their anger and their increased attention, because as Pikachu had said earlier, they only wanted to kill him because they cared.

The decision to visit the Safari Zone had been made after the very, very, very awkward meeting between Pidgeotto and Magikarp. Pidgeotto and Butterfree being on the same team hadn't been awkward at first, mainly because Pidgeotto had only tried to lure Butterfree away to been eaten, she hadn't even had a chance to attack him, let alone eat his family members.

With Magikarp on the other hand... They had been so tasty!

Magikarp had been pleased to be working with such a nice pidgeotto. Pidgeotto had been a bit weirded out to be working with a magikarp that she was pretty sure would taste very excellent despite the name, "He Who Tastes Like Shit". She wasn't sure if tasting good was genetic or not, but genetics probably was a factor.

Eventually they got to talking about life in the Safari Zone. Pidgeotto had passed through there. She had mainly hunted by the sea, but Magikarp had lived in the interconnected waters his entire life. He had nothing really exciting to tell about his life there, but it had sounded like a nice place to visit. And there were supposed to be a lot of exotic and rare pokémon to meet.

And that brought them to their current situation, heading for a check in station on the edge of the Safari Zone.

"Ah," Brock sighed. "I wonder if they'll have a Ranger Jenny?" A unique take on a winning formula. He could see her now, dressed in khakis, red eyes glaring at poachers as she faced them down with a growlithe. She'd have a love of nature and a fierce independent streak. Brock was already composing poetry in his head for her.

"Down boy," Misty said, grabbing Brock's ear, and pulling him back. "Don't embarrass yourself or we'll be going back."

"And leave Aaron alone?" Brock said, wincing from being dragged by his ear.

"Good point," Misty said, letting go of his ear and snapping her fingers. "Best not to risk it."

"I'm not that bad," Ash interjected.

_Bad idea idiot, _Pikachu said, smirking from atop Ash's head.

"Yes you are," Brock and Misty told him in unison. They looked at each other and then back at him. They then grabbed him under his arms and dragged him between them before continuing onward.

"Anyone have a notebook?" Brock asked. "I want to jot down some thoughts."

"Don't you dare," Misty warned.

"Why do you care so much?" Brock shot her a dark look.

"No need to start any embarrassing rumors," Misty replied. "I don't need my sisters worrying about me traveling with you."

"You're what, twelve," Brock shot back.

"Thirteen," Misty returned. "You two were there for my birthday, remember? But that's old enough, especially after that beauty contest in Porta Vista."

"... the League knows me well enough to find such rumors baseless," Brock said. "And if-"

Misty narrowed her eyes.

"Did you just get the idea to try and lure my sisters out to meet you with said rumors? So you could try and hit on them?" She asked the former gym leader in a dangerous voice.

"Maybe-" Brock began, before the 'Fist of Female Fury' grabbed the front of his shirt and began to ruthlessly shake him.

"Scheming, perverted little," Ash ignored Misty's rantings to walk ahead.

_I missed those two, _Pikachu stated, reclining on Ash's head and looking back Misty harauging Brock. _They can be so entertaining._

_And everything exists for your amusement, _Ash muttered under his breath.

_About time you recognized that fact._

Misty had quit yelling at Brock by the time they had reached the station. Brock took the lead and entered the largest building.

Inside sat an Officer Jenny, sitting at a desk, doing paperwork. Behind her was a series of maps with notes and pins all over them. True to Brock's prediction the Jenny was wearing a khaki ranger uniform, with a campaign hat that had corks hanging off the rim. She looked up from her work when she heard the door open.

"Welcome to the Safari Zone," she said. "Whatcha here for?"

"Just visiting," Brock informed her. "Just need a camping permit."

"Sure," Jenny said. "League ID please?"

Brock dug in his pocket, got his wallet, and pulled out his ID. He handed it to the ranger. She took a look at it.

"Huh, guess I should be calling you sir," she said, handing it back to him, and then digging through her desk.

"The rangers in the Safari Zone are part of the League? I didn't know that." Brock admitted.

"Technically we're with the Pokémon Rangers," Ranger Jenny informed him. "We're a subdivision of the Rangers that works closely with the law enforcement of member states in regard to the management of natural resources. Here they are." She pulled out some papers and gave them to Brock.

"Just fill these out and sign them," she instructed the former gym leader. "You'll be responsible for your friend's conduct. Remember, you only have a camping permit, you can't catch any pokémon. If you're forced to fight with one capture it with a Safari Ball, found in the bin back there, and turn it in at a ranger station so it can be released later."

Aaron and Misty nodded.

"No littering, clean up after yourselves, and don't provoke any of the pokémon here," Jenny continued. "Those are the basic rules."

Brock muttered while filling out the paperwork, taking care to actually read it. Misty took a seat. Ash decided to look around.

A bulletin board caught his eye. The pokéraised child walked over to it and began to read the notices.

"Guide needed," Ash quietly read the papers aloud. "Will pay for samples of wild Chansey egg shells. Reward for pictures of dratini in their natural habitat. Will pay for any news on missing child?"

Ash read the last one again.

It was a request for any information on a child named Tomas, responded to the name 'Tommy' at time of separation, five years ago. Blue hair, black eyes. Details of separation: Aircraft troubles over sector 4E. Child went overboard, automatic parachute deployed. Searched landing site, found parachute, no sign of child. No sign of a struggle. If you have any information please call the number below or visit us at Campsite (Some character that Ash didn't know) thirty-two.

_Should be easy enough for us, _Ash muttered to Pikachu.

"Hey, Misty," Ash turned to his female friend. "I need help with a character here."

Misty rolled her turquoise eyes.

"Thought you were the bookworm," she said, getting up to help him.

"I've never seen this one before," Ash defended himself as Misty scanned the document.

"It's a delta," she informed him, "and are you thinking about offering to go look? I can't imagine how'd you'd be any more effective than anybody else who looked for the kid."

Because he could understand pokémon while they couldn't, Ash thought to himself. But he didn't say it out loud.

"I might get lucky," he replied instead. "Besides, it's something to do while we're here."

"Doesn't that seem a bit callous?" Misty asked. "I mean we probably aren't going to be here very long. In a sense, we'd be offering the parents some false hope."

"We can also tell more people," Aaron defended himself. "Help get other people to look."

"My question is, why haven't they organized a large scale search?" Misty asked, scanning the notice again. "I'm betting they already have and it didn't turn up anything. They're probably just grasping at straws now." She sighed. "I guess it probably wouldn't hurt."

"Cool!" Ash replied excitedly. "I'll go ask the ranger about this stuff."

Brock was almost done filling out the paperwork, muttering about how he thought that he had gotten free from such tortures the whole while. Jenny was doing her own paperwork.

"What do you know about the paper on the board? The one about the parents looking for that 'Tommy' kid?" Ash asked abruptly.

"There's nothing to say," Jenny replied. "The parents are desperate after the official searches couldn't find anything the year that it happened and the year after. They come down here near the end of summer and leave a little bit after winter starts. They phrase their notices like they think he's still alive, but honestly, I'm pretty sure they're just looking for the body at this point."

_She just started smelling weird, _Pikachu said.

"Where's campsite... uh... delta thirty-two?" Ash asked, struggling for a moment with the new name.

"It's over here," the ranger replied, pointing to a spot on the map. "If you're going to get involved with this situation I should give you the talk now, instead of waiting for him-" she indicated Brock "-to finish the paperwork. First avoid the rapids at the southern end of the park, the pokémon there can be dangerous. Secondly-" And she continued on like that for some time, listing various dangers and places to avoid. Ash tried to pay attention, but it was hard considering he intended to firstly, ignore her warnings as soon as he entered the Safari Zone proper, and secondly, get his information from primary sources within the park.

"-and that's the basics," Ranger Jenny finished. "There's more information in this-" She reached under her desk and pulled out a fieldbook, "-guide. Look it up if you're not sure."

"Thanks," Ash said, taking the book. If he had known they were giving away free books, he would've come here even without Pidgeotto and Magikarp's recommendations. He flipped it opened, scanned the table of contents, and then flipped through the rest.

"Please don't tell me you're some sort of speed reading savant," Misty pleaded.

"No. Just looking." Ash replied. "What's a savant exactly?"

"Technically it means a distinguished learned person," Misty answered, "but most people use it to mean idiot savant, which is usually a person with a mental disability who is a genius at one particular thing."

Ash nodded and put the book in his bag.

"Look, I can't stop you from wasting your time with this hunt," Jenny said. "But don't get your hopes up. You're not going to find anything."

Something about her demeanor seemed strange to Ash, but he couldn't put his finger on what was wrong with it. Misty gave the ranger a strange look and Brock might have narrowed his eyes. Nobody said anything about it though.

"Still gotta try," Ash replied. "You never know."

They thanked the ranger for her help and exited the station.

"Something's wrong," Brock stated as they headed for campsite delta thirty-two. "That Jenny was hiding something."

"Yeah," Misty said, not bothering to poke fun at Brock at the moment. "She was nervous after Aaron brought up the hunt for Tomas."

"She was?" Ash's gaze swiveled between the two.

_So that's why she smelled weird, _Pikachu interjected, snapping his little fingers. _I'll go ask around the wild pok_é_mon the first chance I get!_

"But what could she be hiding?" Brock asked. "I don't know enough about the rangers here to begin to guess."

"And the regular Pokémon Rangers are too decentralized for there to be any sort of conspiracy," Misty added. "Well, any sort of overreaching conspiracy."

"She didn't get nervous when she read my rank," Brock mused, rubbing his chin as he thought. "So it's not something she was afraid of people investigating. We'd need to talk to other rangers to see if they react similarly ..."

"Maybe she just felt bad," Ash suggested. "Like she was one of the people in the first searching thing and she didn't find him. She could be feeling guilty, not nervous."

"True," Brock admitted. "But she urged us not to get involved. That seems more like a nervous action than a guilty one. We should look into this just to be safe... Arceus Dammit Aaron!" Brock finished, burying his face in his palms.

"What did I-" Aaron began, before Misty groaned.

"It happened again," she said, also facepalming. "We just wandered into a potential cover-up or conspiracy! How do you keep doing this?"

"Next time we meet a mystic I'm going to get you checked for curses," Brock muttered. "Alright, ignoring Aaron's inability to avoid whatever trouble is plaguing the place he visits-"

Ash didn't interrupt. After the incident with the digletts and the dam he was starting to accept these incidents as a fact of life.

"- we need to find out what's going on here," Brock finished. "We'll go meet the parents, try and talk to other rangers, and we'll take a quick look to see if we can't find anything related to the kid instead of the kid himself."

"What's there to gain here?" Misty asked. "We need to find that out, if there's anything to find out."

"I don't know," Brock admitted. "We need to talk to the parents first."

* * *

><p>It was a relatively short walk to Campsite Delta Thirty-Two. Relatively short to people who crossed the country by walking that was. They reached the area within the hour.<p>

It was in the middle of a field full of tall, yellow-brown, grass. The field was still as they made their way through it, the grass going up to the lower parts of Ash and Misty's thighs. Misty found it slightly ticklish.

Campsite Delta Thirty-Two contained a rather large green building like tent on one side. There was a fire pit in the center and the borders of the site were marked by a circle of small stones.

Ash noticed few paths through the tall grass other than the one they left. Either they didn't get a lot of visitors or everyone stuck to the same paths.

"Hello," Brock called out when the group reached the site. "Is anyone here?"

They heard noise from inside the tent, people putting things down, and quick conversation. And then door flaps opened and two figures rushed out.

There was a woman with long curly auburn hair, dressed in khakis and wearing a campaign hat, with black eyes. She was of average height (for a human, for a nidoqueen, kangaskhan, dragonite, or other large species she was pretty short). There was also a short male, with black hair in a bowl cut, black eyes, and was wearing a bush hat.

"Ah, yes," the man said in a relatively high pitched aristocratic voice. "Can we help you fine folks this day?"

"Is this Campsite Delta Thirty-Two?" Brock asked.

"Yes" the the woman answered. "You're here about the flyer I take it?"

"Yeah!" Ash said. "We wanted to help!"

"But, first," Brock said, before anyone else could say anything, "we've got some questions."

"If it's about compensation-" the man began. Brock shook his head.

"It's about something else. Do you have somewhere we could sit down? We might be talking for a while."

"Certainly," the woman replied. "Come inside, we've got seats."

They entered the tent, the woman holding the tent flap open. Inside was a surprisingly domestic scene with tables, cabinets, and ground covered by large camping rugs. There was a spot to eat, a field bed, and lots and lots of maps. They were everywhere. Some were pinned up and heavily marked. Others were just lying around, rolled and unrolled seemingly at random.

Ash also noticed lots of different kinds of papers scattered about. Typed and neat to handwritten on lined paper.

"Over here, over here," the man said, ushering them towards a table with a couple of chairs. Ash and his friends sat down.

"Alright, just to get some things out of the way," the woman began when Ash, Brock, and Misty had taken seats. "Yes we are the parents of Tommy, we're not giving out our names-"

"Why not?" Ash asked, confused.

"It would be a scandal if word of this got out," the man replied. "And we've been assured that our names don't matter in any case, otherwise we would've given them already. Just call us Momma and Poppa."

"It hasn't been easy keeping this quiet back at home and continuing the search," Momma told them. "We can't go into too much detail..."

"Anyway," Poppa began again, but Brock interrupted him.

"Do you have any enemies that might have benefited or might be benefiting from this?" Brock asked. If he were someone else his eyes would have narrowed.

"Benefitting? Maybe. Benefitted? Considering the loss of Tommy was due to a random bit of turbulence there's no possibility that anyone planned it," Momma answered. "Why do you ask?"

"I'll tell you in a bit," Brock replied. "What about the rangers here? How have they been working with you?"

"Well they headed the first search," Poppa informed them. "And up until last year they've been very helpful and kind to us."

"How did their behavior change?" Brock asked.

"They were very delicate in their approach," Momma informed the group, "but their message boiled down to 'give up'. But we're never going to do that, not while there's even the smallest, most impossible chance that he's alive."

"Or even a chance of finding out his fate," Poppa added. "Even if we search until we die."

"Have you noticed anything... odd or unusual about their behavior?" Brock queried. '

"No, nothing odd," Momma replied.

"Just guilt, but that's to be expected," Poppa added. "They worked so hard during those first years. I imagine that they're not taking their failure very well."

"We thought that they seemed more nervous than guilty," Brock responded. He took a breath. "We think there's something strange going on with this whole business and we'd like to investigate."

* * *

><p>AN: Cutting an arc up into shorter chapters is supposed to decrease the time between updates. But, like with Valve and episodic gaming, I evidently failed to grasp the concept and failed to deliver in a timely manner.<p>

Sorry. I know I just graduated and sort of finished the job hunt (complicated story not to be shared over the internet) but I shoulda had this and the next chapter of From Dust done long before now. Bleh.

Course the above two issues have to share the blame with other issues, such as me playing Persona 4... actually it's pretty recent and didn't have that much effect on the delay, but considering I've already sunk forty hours into the game I felt I should blame it a bit.

(I'm only playing that because I played Persona 3 and I only played that because [potential spoilers ahead] I heard about both the central mechanic and the ending. Yeah it was the spoiler that got me to play, while laughing maniacally the whole while because, unlike most players, I knew exactly what I was doing and the consequences. I'm very much not a good person. I was taking far too much joy in suffering that hadn't happened yet

... Persona 3 and Shin Megami Tensei Nocturne may have played a small part in an earlier and different gap between chapters. *cough*. Of course not as big as a gap as would've occured if I started on some of the story ideas I had based on those games, but two stories at once is my limit. Plus this one isn't going to finish for a while and I've got a Hellblazer/Another crossover planned for when From Dust is complete. So no worries about them causing delays.

Whoa this is a large section of text in parenthesis.)

I'd Like to thank everyone who left reviews.

Hopefully since I've got a good portion of June free I should get another chapter or two done, but I shouldn't make any promises.

Read. Review.

*EDIT: Forgot to thank my betas, Selm and Public Masticator


	30. Chapter 30

Disclaimer: I do not own pokémon.

AN: This chapter is un-beated and may suffer in quality as a result. And make sure to read the ending AN before asking for clarification.

* * *

><p>Ash and Pikachu loitered outside the tent while Brock and Misty finished up their preparations to begin the search. They were mainly packing and confirming details with 'Momma' and 'Poppa'. The tent was getting too crowded and there wasn't anything for Ash to do, so they kicked him outside until they were done.<p>

Ash was fine with the decision, it gave him a chance to talk with Pikachu. The electric type lay on the ground beside him, lazily gazing off into space.

_We'll just need to ask the local pokémon,_ the pokéraised child said to the electric type. _And they can tell us if there's anything going on in these parts involving a human child. We might need to look around for some older pokémon who might have been there for the initial event, or at least where there to hear about it. _

_Should be easy enough,_ Pikachu replied, _provided there are _pokémon who group in herds or flocks around here. Or if there's a community like Poison Lance has back home. __

__Something to support the older _pokémon and give them a chance to disseminate the information? Yeah that'd be ideal, ___Ash replied with a nod. _But failing that, we might need to hunt around a bit for a lead like that._

_Since Brock and Misty don't seem to want to let you go more further than ten feet from them that could prove problematic, _Pikachu added. _I don't __know whether to be glad that they'll be keeping a closer eye on you as you wander into trouble again and again and again, or annoyed that you won't be able to talk with us._

_Yeah, about that, _Ash rubbed the back of his head. _I've been with those two for a while and we've been through some pretty intense stuff... _

_Are you thinking about what I think you're thinking about, or at least what you would be thinking about if an idiot like you could think? _Pikachu asked, giving Ash a sharp look.

_I think so, _Ash answered, slightly confused.

_You're going to reveal your secret? _

_Or secrets, _Ash corrected. _I've got plenty. That I'm an orphan, that I can speak to _pokémon, that I'm _pokéraised, and that I'm Ash Ketchum. ___

___Why's the last one significant again? ___

___Poison Lance thought that whoever killed my parents and tried to get me might want to finish the job, ___Ash answered casually.

_Right... humans are weird aren't they, _Pikachu scampered up Ash's pants and shirt, to stand on his shoulder. _I don't get it at all. _

_It's probably either something very long term or something very very weird, _Ash partially agreed. _But it's better safe than sorry. Besides, there's less hassle going about as Aaron Autumns. The Ketchum murders are rather well known in Kanto._

Ash didn't mention his nightmares/memories of dark shapes tearing a man and woman apart, blasts of power shattering a home, and of being chased by said dark shapes as fires raged. But those images seemed so far away in the sun, with his best friend on his shoulder.

_So how much would you tell them? _Pikachu asked.

_For now, I'd probably limit it to 'I can understand _pokémon', __Ash answered. _Share the rest as I went. _

_So you're going to tell them as soon as we set out then? _Pikachu leaned around so he could look Ash in the eyes, well eye, he wasn't long enough to get both and keep a comfortable distance from his trainer's face. _I don't know about that. For one they probably wouldn't believe you right away. Secondly with they way they're being overprotective now that news might make things worse. Thirdly it might not be the best time to tell them, and lastly it might be dangerous. And I speak for the team when I say we don't want to share you. _

Ash smiled.

_So you admit- _

_I admit nothing idiot. _

_I'll show you an idiot! _

_Stop! Stop! Cease and desist with the tickling!_

Brock and Misty left the tent to find Ash being shocked by Pikachu as the pokémon's protest to the tickling. Ash twitched and fell over. Pikachu stood on his hind legs, on top of Ash's chest, tapping on of his paws, and giving his trainer a dark look. Then he looked over at Brock and Misty.

_He's an idiot, _said the electric type in the cutest possible tone and with the cutest possible appearance he could muster.

"I get no respect," Ash moaned.

"Well, that's about all you deserve," Misty told him with a smirk.

"Come on you two, we should get started with this search," Brock told the two of them. "No time for horsing around."

Ash groaned and picked himself up.

"So where are we starting?" The pokéraised child asked his two (relatively) normal human travelling companions.

"At another ranger station," Misty answered. "Try and see if we can't shed a bit more light on what's going on with them."

"Assuming of course that the other rangers know about the subject that bothered ranger Jenny, or if there's actually anything to investigate," said Brock. "Either way we'll do a quick sweep of the areas the rangers have searched, to see if they've hidden or missed anything. I've told 'Momma' and 'Poppa'-" the dark skinned boy air quoted each designation. "-not to get their hopes up. The odds of us finding anything relevant are highly unlikely."

"But we're still going to do this, just to make sure," Misty added. "There's a ranger's station to the west of here, but it's going to take some time to get there. How many days were you planning on staying here Aaron?"

"Errr," Ash rubbed the back of his head, "hadn't chosen yet."

"Well we might be here for a week, maybe longer," Misty replied. "If we start taking too long you might just want to... no, forget that! You're sticking with us until this is finished!"

Brock nodded his agreement. He had been thinking along the same lines as his Cerulean colleague.

"Sure," Aaron agreed. That was what he had planned to do anyway.

"Got all of your stuff?" Brock asked. Ash nodded in response. "Then let's get going."

* * *

><p>For one group the rocky terrain had been a blessing in maintaining secrecy. For the other group the terrain had not aided or hindered them in their failed attempt to survive.<p>

"Heh," Barclay kicked a charred corpse that had been one of the Safari Zone rangers. "Guess the Kanto Rangers aren't anything special."

"These are just the Safari Zone Rangers," Alice replied, checking the dead bodies. Her heatmor was busy devouring some human meat behind her. "They're an offshoot group related to the Kanto Rangers, but never confuse the two. The Kanto Rangers are considerably more competent."

Christopher was busy pouring over a map of the Safari Zone that had survived the conflagration that had claimed its former owner.

"We should head northwest from here," he spoke up, catching the attention of the other two. "According to this map it's a popular grazing area."

"Very well," Alice said, standing up. "That's our next move then. Come along Suntongue." She started to walk away from the bodies. Her heatmor grunted and followed, dropping the charred femur.

Christopher folded up the map and followed as well. He had recalled his pokémon earlier, after inspecting them for wounds right after the conclusion of the battle.

Barclay was about to join them when he heard a sound come from one of the still forms. The golden haired member of Team Magma turned around to investigate, crossing the area between him and the location of the sound with a swift confident stride. He was smiling the same smile that he had worn when he had burned his mother alive-

**bitch always** **s**houting, cursing, nothing was ever good enough for her, no excuses for anyone, except herself when she got angry and strangled his little sister and decapitating her torchic then _she _got an excuse and shouldn't he hurry up and help dispose of the body, the bitch, bitch always screaming screa**ming screaming **

- while reaching back into the pack on his back. He withdrew a stout wooden stick, about a foot and a half in length. There was a handkerchief being used as a sack for something tied around one end.

The source of the noise was one of the supposed corpses, one Alice must have missed. From what he could see of the remaining hair, Barclay guessed it was one of the two Jenny's that had been in the group. She was trying to pick herself up, trying to get moving despite the horrific burns all over her body. Beside her lay an ivysaur, the pokémon she had used in the brief battle. It was little more than a charred lump. Barclay idly remembered that it had been one of Christopher's pair of houndooms that had done that deed. He wouldn't have done it. Barclay didn't like killing pokémon, or even watching them get hurt outside of a battle that they were enjoying.

The Jenny managed to lift her head as he approached. She glared at him with one good blue eye, the other eye had been ruined when the fluids within the socket had flash boiled. She tried to make a noise, but her throat and lungs had been ruined.

Barclay winked at her.

He threw the stick. There was a small boom, a burst of fire, and the end of a life.

* * *

><p><em>I wonder what's burning, <em>Pidgeotto mused out loud as her sharp eyes caught a faint wisp of smoke rise in the distance.

_Probably just some fire types eating a magikarp, _Magikarp guessed. _It's an area where they like to hang out I remember. But then again most of the contact I had with pokémon who weren't magikarps was them trying to eat me. Which is why I'm absolutely useless at this subject. _

_So ya didn't chat with any pokémon that wasn't trying to munch on ya? _Primeape asked. He was standing in a circle along with the rest of Ash's team and Ash himself. He had Magikarp slung over his shoulder and was holding onto his tail like the water type was a club.

_Well, I occasionally talked with them after they had just finished off another magikarp or two. Like the ivysaur who ate my first mate for example. He was blunt, but he tried to be polite. He had taken a break from photosynthesis so he could hurry up and get to the other end of the park to surprise a friend- _

_That's off topic, _Ash spoke up, cutting off his newest pokémon. _Alright, we have to make this brief, I don't know how long Brock and Misty will take to notice I've wandered off. I need you guys to split up into a group of two and a group of three to ask the local pokémon about the missing child. Pikachu's with me, Primeape and Magikarp are together, and I don't care how you split up the rest. Just stick together and make sure that everyone stays safe. Find me again after an hour at max. Brock wants to take it slow so we should be relatively nearby._

_Don't worry, _Bulbasaur reassured the human. _We were able to take care of ourselves before we met you. I'll go with Primeape and Magikarp to counteract Magikarp's weakness. _

_But then then you two have a weakness to flying, _Pidgeotto pointed out. _Shouldn't it be me who goes with them? _

_But then there's your weakness to electricity, _Pikachu pointed out, before Ash interrupted again.

_There's no time for this. Bulbasaur you're with Primeape and Magikarp. You two listen to him. You're in charge. Squirtle, Charmander, and Pidgeotto, you guys are together, Squirtle's in charge._

_Why's he in charge? _Charmander demanded.

_Because he led the Squirtle Squad, _came the answer from the trainer.

_The coolest squad in the world! _Squirtle added.

_Alright, everything taken care of? _Ash looked around. His pokémon nodded in response. _Good, Pikachu and I have to scram now. _

The trainer took off with the electric pokémon jumping onto his shoulder. The pokéraised child kept to a jog. He didn't need Brock and Misty questioning him about being out of breath.

Ash returned to the area where he had slipped away from earlier. Brock and Misty were still pouring over the maps, trying to figure out the best way to comb the patch of forest that they had stopped by. The young trainer stopped at a point just outside of their line of sight and leaned against a tree. He and Pikachu then tried to look like, as far as they and the world knew, the two of them had been there the entire time.

While the world may not have bought the act, it evidently worked on Brock and Misty when they finished up and glanced around for him. (Their paranoia had not quite extended to keeping him in view at all times, thankfully.) They gestured for him to come join them.

"So here's what we're going to do," began Brock, "we'll go through here together, and then after that Misty will split off to cover this lake," the former gym leader pointed to a blue patch on the map, "while you and I continue on to the ranger's station like we originally planned. Since I don't know if we'll reach it by the end of today, Misty will try and rejoin us when we make camp."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Aaron asked.

"I'd say that you could stay out of trouble," Misty replied. "But I'm pretty sure the universe is against that. So just stick with Brock. Please." She said the last bit sincerely.

It was difficult to know your friend (and former crush) was not only being targeted by highly skilled criminals with issues in the sanity department, but also seemed destined to stumble into almost every bit of trouble imaginable. She hadn't minded so much when she and Brock had been with him, when they had been there to share in said trouble, but the danger he had gotten in during their brief separation? Dealing with the mob at the dam that had attacked Professor Oak's grandson and being nearly kidnapped by the Rocket Trio right next to the lands of the Fuschia city gym? That was something very different. It was entirely possible that he might have simply vanished, the mob or the Rockets leaving no trace of him or his fate behind. Nothing but fear, grief, and a helpless feeling within his friends.

So maybe she and Brock were being a bit hard on him. Maybe they were going a bit too far. Maybe she was being a bit short tempered with him. Anger was how she dealt with worry after all.

As for Brock, Aaron's situation confirmed the 'feeling' that had been growing since the fight at Melanie's village. The feeling in question being a mix of exasperation, worry, and resignation. Not like life could have done things the easy way and _not_ have him stumble into every mess that he could. No he had to do his best to make sure Aaron survived. Brock felt that Aaron should mark the day that Brock joined him on his journey as a lucky day. If the gym leader hadn't come, what would've happened to the boy?

It wasn't a question Brock was in a hurry to discover the answer to.

"Please," Misty repeated, pleading with her turquoise eyes.

"Fine," Ash muttered.

"Thanks," Misty breathed a sigh of relief.

That relief vanished when there came a loud caw from overhead. Misty jumped in surprise and fear, hands automatically reaching for weapons and pokéballs-

It was a suspiciously familiar pidgeotto and an unfamiliar pidgeot.

"Aaron, is there any particular reason that the pidgeotto coming towards us looks just like yours?" Brock's voice was deceptively calm.

"Oh, yeah, that's Pidgeotto," Ash answered, completely oblivious. "I sent her and the others out to look around while you guys were planning on what to do. Though they were supposed to stick together. And it was only a couple of minutes ago. I guess they got lucky."

Misty's eyes narrowed. One began to twitch.

"Excuse me for a moment," Ash said to his two friends. "After HopHopHop town I'm starting to feel like wild pokémon like to convey these with less people around. I'll be back in a couple of seconds."

Misty and Brock were too full of rage to do anything while their friend ran off into the nearby woods. They looked at each other.

"Should we take turns handcuffing him to each other?" Misty asked, eye still twitching. Going behind their backs and leaving himself with only Pikachu? Was he trying to attract trouble?

"I'm thinking about it," growled Brock in response.

"Should we go after him?"

"No, he actually has a point. We just need to be the one's to contact the wild pokémon in the future so he can't use this excuse."

Over with Ash, Pikachu, Pidgeotto, and the pidgeot, they had just reached an area Ash considered to be private enough to properly converse.

_So anyway, I'm- _Ash began.

_Shit you were telling the truth! _exclaimed the pidgeot. _He really can speak properly. _

_Ha! Not only do you owe me the information you also owe me a pound of berries! _Pidgeotto crowed triumphantly.

_You were betting on this? __And you didn't think to get anything for me? _Pikachu huffed. _See if I ever do anything nice for you again. _

_When have you done anything nice for me? _

_I've grace you with my magnificent prescence. Isn't that enough? _

_Anyway,_ Ash interjected, rolling his eyes at his pokémon's antics. _You said you have information. __  
><em>

_And he's a trainer? That interacts with other humans? As in he's actually part of their society and can speak at least one of their languages properly? _The pidgeot continued to ignore Ash and bombarded Pidgeotto with more questions.

_Yeah, so? _Pidgeotto raised one tilting her head in a quizzical manner. _What does that have to do with anything? _

_Everything! _The pidgeot turned to Ash. _Alright you want to know about Tomas? The Kangaskhan Kid? _

_The Kangaskhan kid? _ Ash raised an eyebrow. _And I'd also like to know what my speaking properly has to do with anything. _

_You're just like him!_ The pidgeot shouted. _Well, except the pokémon that know you are a bit more open with your secret, but the rangers warned us what could happen if word got out. That's why we don't tell other pokémon, but when Pidgeotto started blabbing about your talent- _

_Wait, Tomas can speak pokémon? _Pikachu nearly shouted. _Is he pokéraised? Well the parents will be still be happy I guess, he's alive after all. They're rich enough to keep him in a safe nature preserve... _

_Huh? _Ash looked over at the yellow pokémon on his shoulder. _What does being pokéraised have to do with anything? _

_You really should know this better than anyone, _Pikachu chided him. _Why do you think Poison Lance went through so much trouble to send you to school and sneak you into the park so many times? _

_Something about needing to socialize and learn to speak the human language of this country properly, _Ash answered. _I didn't pay too much attention to the reasons as long as I got to keep doing it. _

_And what do you think would have happened if he hadn't gone out of his way to provide you with the bit of education and socialization? _Pikachu prompted.

_I probably wouldn't know- Oh, I see your point. But couldn't they just teach him whatever human language they speak after they find him again. _

_You'd think so, _Pidgeotto spoke up. _But I asked Poison Lance about it one time. He told me that there were critical stages during a human childhood that they need to be learning how to speak or they'll never really learn. He also told me that how we speak is too different from any human language to use that instead. Tomas is probably past that point if it's been five years-_

_But he isn't! _corrected the pidgeot. _He can already speak a bit of human and the rangers sometimes talk to him and help him! He's just like you._

In the future that last sentence... well now is not the time to speak of such things.

_Holy fuck munching shit,_ swore Ash.

Pikachu hit his trainer with a mild Thundershock.

_Language young man! _The yellow electric type chided his prone and singed trainer. _What would Poison Lance say if he heard you swearing like that? _

_He'd get mad at Pocket Watch for using those words around me, _Ash groaned as he picked himself up. He addressed the pidgeot next. _So where is Tomas? I'd love to meet him. And find out why the rangers aren't telling his parents where he is. His human parents I mean. _

_I have no idea. The rangers didn't find him until a year ago... or maybe it was two. Possible three. He's over in the grasslands a couple of miles that way! _The pidgeotto gestured with a wing.

_This is great! _Ash grinned. _Oh! I probably should let Brock and Misty find out about this themselves. It'd be a bit hard to explain how I got all this information out of charades. _

_And you could use their reaction to Tomas to guess how they'll react to your secret, _Pikachu added.

_You're traveling with other humans and they don't know your secret yet? _The fully evolved flying type was surprised by the news. _The way your pokémon blab on about you I'd have thought almost everyone in Kanto would know by now. _

_Nope, I've been keeping it under wraps. But I really should be going before Brock and Misty come after me. And Pidgeotto, where are the others? _

_My_ _group's heading back. They're probably already with Brock and Misty by now. Want me to go get the other group. _

_Yes please, and hurry. _Pidgeotto nodded in response and took off. However, before she was out of earshot... _And don't forget Pidgeot, you still owe me that pound of berries! _

_Curses! I was really hoping that she'd forget that. _Pidgeot sighed. _Well, goodbye. I might run into again later, but I make no promises. I'll warn the herd that you're coming and then I've got other things to do.  
><em>

With that the fully evolved winged pokémon took wing. Ash and Pikachu headed back towards the red headed human girl and the dark skinned human boy.

"So?" Misty asked, with one eye twitching and one foot tapping.

"As best I could make out there's something related to him over that way," Ash pointed in the same direction that the Pidgeot had, the northeast he guessed. "Only a little ways away I think, but it was a flying type so..."

"It couldn't hurt to check there," Brock said in an unnaturally neutral tone. "And what-"

_We're back! _Squirtle shouted. Everyone turned to look at the shouting squirtle as he and Charmander scampered back into the clearing. _Now let's hurry up and go! _

"Well's that part of your team," Brock's voice continued to be unnaturally calm. "But what about the rest?"

"I sent Pidgeotto to retrieve them. They'll either be here soon or they'll catch up with us in a bit." Aaron replied.

"We'll wait right here," Brock said, simply staring at the boy. "We'll wait right here for however long it takes."

* * *

><p>It took several minutes for the rest of Ash's team to arrive, seven minutes which should have been very awkward. But Ash lacked most standard social mores and thus Brock and Misty's staring failed to phase him, ruining their plans. After Aaron had regathered his team the group set out for where the kangaskhan herd was supposed to be. It was about an half hours journey, Pidgeotto leading the way, that ended after they crossed a small ridge.<p>

Before the group was a herd of large pokémon. They were mostly brown, the sort of dark brown that one associates with tree bark, with bellies that were a lighter tan color, and black crests over their heads. They were all female, a feat only accomplished by belonging to the Monster egg group and by the efforts of adventurous dittos, and they all had either their young or eggs in their pouches. Most of the herd was busy grazing but a couple pokémon watched the humans approach.

"Where to now?" Ash asked Pidgeotto for the benefit of Brock and Misty.

_Pikachu is right. This is highly annoying_, Pidgeotto stated before raising a wing, pointing it at the herd, and cawing.

"What do these kangaskhan have to do with Tommy?" Brock asked, crossing his arms and looked a bit put off at Pidgeotto's communications.

"No clue," Aaron lied. "Pidgeotto, could you please tell Pikachu what the kangaskhan have to do with Tommy and Pikachu can do charades-" Ash was interrupted by the buzz of electricity. As he dropped to the ground he idly noted that Pikachu had been shocking him a lot today.

_We'll do this a different way, something that doesn't involve this annoying charade, and the annoying charades that around bound to follow as well, _the yellow pokémon declared, before marching over to the nearest kangaskhan and starting to converse. Ash lay in the soft grass for a moment and wondered if that was Pikachu's way of suggesting that he should let Brock and Misty in on his secret, like they had been discussing earlier.

Or the yellow pokémon was just being himself. Either option was equally likely.

Actually, now that Ash thought about it, Pikachu would probably rather just tell him directly. And call him an idiot. So it was just him being himself.

He heard Misty giggle behind him. It would seem that his suffering was cheering her up. And probably Brock as well. The sadists.

Pikachu returned as he was picking himself up. The electric type grabbed part of Ash's jeans and tugged on them, leading his trainer towards the herd. Ash followed. When Brock and Misty made a move to follow Pikachu held up his forepaw and signaled for them to halt.

"Get out Primeape at least," Brock said. "That's the only way we're letting you go out into that herd alone."

Ash complied. Two pokéballs opened. White light blazed and there Primeape and Magikarp stood, the fighting type once again wielding the water type.

"Why do you always do that?" Misty asked, giving Ash a put off look.

"Their idea," Ash replied before accompanying his pokémon into the herd.

The kangaskhan closed around them as they walked in, hiding them from outside eyes and ears, with the ones towards the middle moving apart just enough to make a thin corridor for Ash and his friends to traverse. Quite honestly it was a bit claustrophobic. The small group was immersed in the smell of all the kangaskhan, all the sounds the large pokémon made, aware of all the mass shifting around them. Despite the presence of Primeape and Pikachu, if the kangaskhan decided to attack there was little chance of escape. Once they were a decent ways into the group Ash turned to the nearest kangaskhan.

_Hello, I'm Ash Ketchum. Nice to meet you. _The pokéraised child greeted the pokémon. _I'm afraid I don't know kangaskhan etiquette- _

_Did he just speak properly? _

_I think he did. I guess Pidgeot and his Pikachu weren't lying after all. _

_How'd he learn to do that?_

_Can he speak a human language? Hey- what was his name? _

_It was Asc I think. _

_No, it was Ash, I'm sure of it. _

_Hey, Ash, say something in a human language! _

_Yeah! _And the herd's chatter began to die down as they repeated the agreement.

"Uh, hello, it's nice to meet all of you?" Ash spoke loudly, so the herd could hear him. "Do you have any information on a boy named Tomas. Also called Tommy?"

_He can! He can speak both! _

_Get Kangaskhan and Tommy over here pronto!_ One of the herd called out, seeking the boy named Tommy, and the pokémon named World Burning Mother. Ash secretly hoped she wouldn't live up to her name. Poison Lance had been a little overprotective at times and he was a weedle. Not a pokémon species known for it's parental skills. A kangaskhan on the other hand...

The herd milled around for a moment, pokémon looking for a human and a specific pokémon. The they parted, opening up a corridor that led to a blue haired boy dressed in a growlithe fur and a slightly larger than average kangaskhan.

The boy was a foot or two smaller than himself (it must have been Ash's last couple of growth spurts) and his wild upbringing had evidently gifted him with childhood slenderness instead of childhood chubbiness. He had wild blue hair, two brown spirals on his cheeks, and black eyes that were wide and shining with wonder.

He approached Ash, slowly at first, and then broke into a run. The boy babbled wildly as he scampered over, throwing about parts of questions and declarations of excitement. His journey ended with a tackle hug that caught Ash around the waste. The elder pokéraised boy stumbled backwards, unbalanced by the impact. _  
><em>

_You're really real, right? _The boy asked, looking up from Ash's waist. _This isn't an hallucination caused by accidentally eating fermented berries and the wrong type of mushroom again. _

_I_ _sincerely hope not_, Ash answered. _I don't want to deal with existential angst. _

_You know, he might be onto something, _Pikachu suggested with a mischievous grin. _I mean it's more likely that you're merely dreaming that you got an awesome pokémon like me and you're still asleep on the day before you start your journey. I hope you aren't too disappointed when you get a starter who isn't the greatest electric type in Kanto under Zapados. _

_I taught you how to control lightning, remeber, _Ash replied with a wry grin. _Without me you lack much of your vaunted talent._

_Does dat mean I don't exist?_ Primeape scratched his head with his free hand.

_I can only hope I don't exist. It would save me the trouble of dying. _Magikarp added.

_And you're a pokémon trainer? _The boy asked, still hugging Ash like he was afraid the other boy would vanish if he let go. _So the other humans aren't trying to do stuff to you or make you do stuff because you can understand pokémon? _

_Most of them don't know I can understand pokémon and I'd like to keep it that way for now, _Ash informed the younger child. _There's a couple that found out and they are trying to get me to do stuff, but they're keeping it secret for their own reason. You are Tomas, or Tommy, right? _

_Yep! That's my name! _Tommy said, letting go Ash, stepping back, and flashing a cheery smile. The boy was beaming and bouncing up and down in excitement.

_So you've been with this herd for five years? _Ash asked.

_Ever since I landed here, _Tommy answered. _The herd found me and momma didn't have any young so she took me in! And then Jenny found out about me a year ago and she's been helping me with speaking like a human! So- _

_Now, now, _World Burning Mother interrupted, having walked over at a much more sedate pace than her adopted son. She gently rested a large three clawed forelimb on the blue haired boy's shoulder. _You need to calm down and we need to ask this young man a couple of questions. __  
><em>

* * *

><p>A pair of binoculars swept around, taking in the sights. An encrypted radio call was made and Shinji Burrows had some pertinent information.<p>

To the north of Ash, Misty, and Brock, three blue clad individuals had found signs of a large herd grazing. Recent signs to be exact. They began to follow the trail created by these signs.

By a pool four people waited, watched, and planned.

* * *

><p>"Handcuffs or a leash?" Misty asked.<p>

"Either one works," Brock replied. "Do you think I'd scare the herd if I got Onix out?"

"Let's not risk it," Misty shot a glare at the herd. "Why again did we just let him walk in?"

Brock sighed.

"Because even I will admit that he has a way with pokémon," the dark skinned boy told the red haired girl. "And he's probably in less danger in the middle of a herd of kangaskhan than he would be in the middle of a city."

"I guess," Misty muttered, kicking at some dirt. She was silent for a moment before speaking up again. "I wonder what these pokémon could have to do with Tomas?"

"Who knows," Brock shrugged. "It could be anything."

The two of them stood around in silence for another couple of minutes, each doing their best not to worry about Aaron, or what could be going on with Tommy, or with the rangers...

"Alright, hands up," a familiar voice said from behind the pair.

The two of them instantly went into fight or flight mode. But neither was an option at the instant. The former gym leader and gym trainer forced their bodies to remain loose, not to make any sudden movements, fighting against the adrenalin coursing through their veins.

Misty wanted to roll to the side, release her pokémon, and grab her knives. Her hands twitched, trying to do so, but she arrested the motions. Hands in plain sight before her the red haired girl turned around to face the speaker.

Brock, the more experienced of the two, secretly palmed Onix's pokéball, keeping it in its small mode to avoid detection. He also turned around.

There stood the Ranger Jenny from earlier. She was pointing a rifle at the two and her red eyes were shining fierce.

"That's a dart rifle," Brock said calmly. "You'll only be able to get one shot off before either Misty or I can release our pokémon. We both have pokémon that your dart rifle would be ineffective against, no matter the drug or poison. There is no way this can end well for you. Why don't you just put down your rifle and talk to us?"

It was only natural for Brock to be calm and stoic. He had trained for situations like these. And those qualities were ones that humanity had associated with his chosen type.

Trainers choose to specialize in a type for various reasons. The two biggest were personality and ease of power power. The first was self explanatory. A trainer would choose to specialize in a type where the qualities associated with said type matched their personality. The second was a little more complicated. A specialist had higher odds of becoming a gym leader or higher than a generalist. They and their team could grow more powerful by specializing, by learning all the ins and outs of one particular type. That was why most gym leaders or members of the Elite Fours were specialists.

However the highest level of power, those who were called Pokémon Masters, could usually only be reached by generalists. That was why so many ordinary trainers tried not to specialize.

Brock had chosen rock as his speciality for a multitude of reasons. One was because his first pokémon, which had been a gift, had been a rock type. Another was that the attributes of said type offset the disadvantages of his youth, allowing him to become a solo gym leader at his young age. But it had been mostly because his personality had fit.

That was why he stared down the barrel of the gun without a sign of fear.

(Or even blinking. But the not blinking might have been due to other reasons.)

"I'm afraid I can't do that," Jenny replied tersely. "You two need to leave now. This is a restricted area."

"That's not true!" Misty protested, going silent when the rifle swiveled towards her.

"For all intents and purposes it is," Jenny told the red head.

"Ranger, what's going on here?" Brock asked calmly. "Why are you doing this?"

"You people have no idea what you've stumbled over here," the ranger's reply contained hints of desperation and despair. "No idea whatsoever."

"Then why don't you enlighten us?", suggested Brock.

"I can't," the Safari Zone ranger responded. "Please just leave and don't come back. And take your friend with you." She looked around, making sure to keep the pair in one eye at all times. "Where is he anyway?"

"He's in the middle of the herd," Brock watched closely, curious about her reaction.

All color left the face of the woman and her eyes suddenly went wide. She suddenly seemed off balance, unsteady, wobbly, like someone had just hit her in the gut. Brock wouldn't have been surprised if she had dropped her weapon right then and there. But she didn't. Either her training, her professionalism, plain stubbornness, or even her own willpower allowed her to steady herself.

"Get him away from there now!" She ordered, pointing the gun at Brock. "Do whatever you need to do-"

"It's too late to do that without frightening the herd," Brock informed her. "How many other rangers are in on this?"

"A couple of my kinswomen," Jenny said automatically, still pale. "And a few other rangers. But it doesn't matter. Get out of here. I'll send your friend along shortly."

"No," Brock's statement was calm, but it was said in such a way that communicated the utter unmovable nature of his decision.

"Look at it this way," Misty spoke up. "You can either do this peacefully and maybe reach some sort of compromise, or we can do this the hard way. One of us will be shot and you'll be defeated and have no say in what happens next. Just lower your rifle and things will go much smoother."

Jenny's grip didn't waver. But her expression became pained. She was obviously considering the offer. Her actions must have been driven by desperation and she had no clue where to proceed from the current situation.

But before she could decide on way or the other there was movement in the herd...

* * *

><p><em>You've really managed to keep all of your secrets for that long? <em>World Burning Mother asked, slightly incredulous.

_It helps that no-one's actively trying to uncover them, _Ash answered. _And the people who do know have reasons to help keep it secret, even if they are a massive pain in the butt._

_Pain in the butt? They're trying to kidnap you to do who-knows-what to you! _Pikachu protested angrily. _You know sometimes I'm not sure if you're taking those Rocket psychos seriously enough. _

_Let's not talk about that now, _Ash said.

_Yes, let's talk about why you went looking for Tommy, _spoke up the younger boy's adopted mother.

_Because his human parents are here looking for him. Well they've been here looking for him for the last five years, but they haven't been successful. _Ash explained, shifting his weight. All those involved in the conversation had sat down at some point while the other kangaskhans stood around, listening in, or went about their usual business.

_We should tell Jenny then, _World Burning Mother suggested. _How about it Tommy? Would you like to meet them? _

The boy had gone still, absolutely still, when Ash mentioned his biological parents. That was to be expected.

Many children who knew that they were adopted and lacked knowledge about their birth parents would at least be curious. They would want to know why their birth parents hadn't been there for them. Were they still alive? Did they reject them? Did they cry? Did they ever wonder, did they ever feel the same as their child? Did they ever try to imagine their child as they were now as the child tried with them under the same shared sky?

Ash didn't know this of course. He had some small memories of his parents, and his friends back in the Pallet area and Poison Lance helped to fill in the rest. So he didn't know how Tommy was feeling. But he could tell it was important to the other boy. So he waited patiently.

_They're alive, _said the blue haired boy, half question and half statement. He was staring at the ground by his feet. Then his head shot up. _And they're looking for me? They've been looking for me this whole time? They couldn't find me for five years? What's wrong with them? Some parents they are. _

_Good parents are supposed to try everything in their power to help their kids,_ Magikarp spoke up from his position over Primeape's shoulder. _It's not required that they be good at it._

_I guess I should at least talk to them, _Tommy said, standing up. _But do you think they'll try to take me away from momma? _

_They were worried that you might've died over the last five years. When they find out that you're still alive thanks to your mother, I think they'll do almost anything she wants provided they get to see you again, _Magikarp reassured the boy.

_Well that settles it then, _World Burning Mother stated, also standing up. _We should go talk to Jenny now. She can help set this up. _

_Yeah, she'll be pleased to hear my other parents are here, _Tommy added. _They can give me language lessons all the time instead of the couple times she can stop by. Oh, and since they're family, it should be fine to share my secret with them! _

_About that, _Ash began, rubbing the back of his head. _All the rangers should have known about your parents and their search. _

_So why didn't she tell me last year? _Tommy asked. _When she found me. I wasn't good at the local human language back then, but I could still get by._

_We'll have to ask her, won't we now, _World Burning Mother said, her eyes narrowing, and her bearing growing more fierce. There was an unstated 'and she better have a good explanation for this' in the kangaskhan's attitude.

_Well let's go back to Brock and Misty. They'll probably be all antsy about me being out of sight for so long. _Ash also stood up. _And remember you can't tell them that I can also understand pokémon. _

_Why not? Aren't they your friends? _Tommy looked at Ash curiously.

_Yeah but I don't know how they'll react, _Ash awkwardly laughed and rubbed the back of his head. _They've got official connections that could make things difficult. Plus I've got a bunch of others secrets all tied together. Revealing even one might reveal too much in the end. _

_But they're your friends! _

_I know,_ Ash grimaced. _ It's not always fun and hiding it can be annoying. I've been considering tell them recently, but I haven't decided either way yet. Just please let me handle it. _

_And I'll shock you if you try to say anything to anybody on that subject, _Pikachu added cheerily.

_Excuse me? _The kangaskhan mother glared down at the yellow electric type. _Please leave the discipline of my child up to me. He won't be saying anything about your trainer's secrets, right Tommy?_

The boy nodded to signal his understanding very quickly.

_Come on then. __Excuse me ma'm. Pardon me. _ Ash and co. made their way back through the herd. They reached the edge and then Ash sighed.

"And you guys were mad at me for getting in trouble?" The young trainer said, looking at Brock, Misty, and Ranger Jenny.

The Safari Zone ranger went dead pale and her body felt like a jolt of electricity had gone through it. She swung the rifle over to point at Aaron.

"Get away from him right now!" Jenny commanded.

White light blazed and Starmie whirled towards the ranger. The purple pokémon smashed the rifle out of the ranger's hands, caught the weapon between its arms, and then spun back to Misty.

"Good job Starmie!" Misty said, taking the rifle from it. She went to unload it. "And you had no intention of poisoning or drugging us, did you? It's sort of hard to do using a rifle with no ammo."

Tommy gaze shifted between the ranger and Ash's friends.

"What's going on here?" Ash asked.

_I would like to know that as well,_ World Burning Mother stated, fixing the ranger with a fierce glare.

_Do_ _you want me to ask? _Tommy inquired. Brock and Misty noted the communication between human and pokémon. They could tell right away that Tommy was pokéraised and probably wouldn't be able to talk to them.

_If you would, _was the reply of Tomas's adopted mother.

"Tommy, **no**!"came Jenny's short, sharp, shout, unleashed on instinct rather than understanding, a shout that was ultimately too late.

"Why are you fighting?" Tommy asked before the ranger's command could register.

"Holy-!" Misty jumped a couple of feet, dropping the rifle.

"Did he just speak properly?," Brock said, a little more quietly. "Shit. I think I see now."

"Tommy!" Jenny shouted again, her voice between worried and angry.

Ash took a small step back, surprised and a bit overwhelmed by the extreme reactions.

"What's wrong?" He could understand their surprise, it was the over emotions he didn't get.

"He's eight years old and already has a basic grasp of a human language," Brock was muttering to himself. "Based on interaction with the kangaskhan he at least has a rudimentary understanding of the pokémon language. Hopefully that's all but... Ranger, just how well does he understand pokémon?"

"Perfectly," the red eyed woman replied dourly.

"And how well does he understand our language?" Brock asked again.

"He's learning. Quite well." Came another dour reply. "With proper tutoring he could probably become fluent."

"Fuck," Misty swore, her eyes going wide with comprehension as she stared at Tomas.

"I can see now why you were so desperate to keep this hidden," Brock said a bit shakily. "Shit this is big."

"What's the big deal guys? He's just talking." Ash said with a small nervous laugh, rubbing the back of his head.

"Aaron, you don't have any idea what this means, do you?" Brock shot the younger boy a sharp look. Ash froze, as if he had been pinned down in place. "This is very bad."

"Why?" Ash asked. "I don't get it."

And that was when the first explosion came.

* * *

><p>AN: Un-beated and I couldn't get decent feedback before publishing. Bleh, I hate it when that happens, but people's schedules can be weird. Something about this chapter just seems off to me, but without the decent feedback I can't revise it enough to figure what it is. When the next chapter comes out I might also release a much revised version of this chapter, so be sure to see if I've made changes to this one before checking out the next chapter, whenever it comes out.<p>

About the former crush thing, for people who will be wondering, the crush ended between chapters 17-20. It was in the little details. I like to do a lot with the little details and I'm not always sure if people see or get what I'm doing there. I know some of the reviews have asked about it or mentioned it and I figured now would be a good time to clarify.

Also I think some of might have missed the edits to the earlier chapters. A couple in the first ten have been re-worked.

And enough of that stuff.

About the delay between chapters, I've had to deal with graduation, family moving, me moving, job hunt, traveling, and computer issues. Hell, for the last week or so I've had to put up with unbelievably crappy hotel wi-fi to get anything done. I can't make any promises whatsoever about a release schedule. But you don't have to worry about this dying... at least not unless I die, but if I die it's going to be so hilarious that it'll make the news and everyone will know about it.

Beat Persona 4. Had two issues with the game. The first was that the true ending was too happy, way to happy. I prefer endings to be more like the endings of the two Persona 2 games. Well more like the ending to Eternal Punishment, but that ending only worked so well because of the ending of Innocent Sin. The second was the fact that the team wasn't hugging that bear more. Why wouldn't they want to hug Teddie more? WHY?

Interesting note. I finally got my best friend to read this. After reading the first six chapters they remarked that every sentence just screamed me. Now I'm worried that I haven't done a good enough job on giving everyone different speech patterns.

I don't usually do this, it seems too spoilery, but I'll tell you lot something. The ending is set for/in Unova. I might be breaking this up into separate stories based on region. Haven't decided yet. Hopefully the other regions won't be as long/take as many words as Kanto has thus far. It depends on too many things, but I'm going to at least try to keep the size of the fic under control.

Anyway, until next time, ConstructiveWriter out.


	31. Chapter 31

AN: That which is not abandoned may eternal lie.

And with strange aeons even work may yet be done.

Who am I kidding. There is no chapter 31. The text below is all gibberish. Don't bother reading. Go away, shoo!

On a more serious note, those who were worried about this story being abandoned may be reminded that my profile contains chapter statuses, including when I last worked on the current chapter.

One last thing. The latest chapter of From Dust was started on the east coast and finished on the west one. My life has been a bit chaotic recently and has only just started calming down. Don't expect miracles when it comes to update times.

I lied, there is another thing. Since I didn't say this at the start of the fic I'll just say it now. It's my first fanfic. Please be SO BRUTAL THAT IT'S FUCKIN **METAL**! :AN

* * *

><p>It was a simple plan, as the best and worst plans often turned out to be. What they assumed was the child and his Pokémon mother were standing outside the main body of the herd. If they could remove the rest of the herd from the picture it would make capturing the child much easier and more efficient. The Safari Zone Ranger and what they assumed were visiting trainers were considered the lesser threat beside the large, violent, and protective Pokémon.<p>

Team Magma decided that the best course of action would be to incite a stampede. If they could get the herd moving, then taking the child would be much simpler. Being Team Magma they had the ability to create explosions on hand.

Barclay had been dispatched. Alice had reasoned that his pyromania balanced with his love for Pokémon would be best suited for the task. He had snuck through the tall grass to get close to the herd, keeping his profile as small as he could manage.

He selected a pair of Pokéballs from his belt. They might not have contained fire types, but Barclay appreciated and loved their contents no less for that fact. They had alternate methods of helping the world to burn.

"Go Bang. Go Boom," whispered the golden haired man. White light blazed within the tall grass and a pair of Voltorbs rolled to attention.

"Boom, I need you to roll twenty meters that way." The human pointed. "And Bang, ten meters that way. Two minutes after you leave I want you both to use Fire Blossom. Don't overdo it and hurt yourselves too much. Then I'll recall you. Got it?"

"Vol voltorb!" Bang replied cheerily, eyes closed and nodding its body.

"Torb," Boom answered, inclining its body in acknowledgement.

"Thanks," the golden haired man smiled. His face softened and for an instant he seemed at peace as he gazed at his Pokémon. It was a natural smile, unlike the one he wore when gazing upon fire, a smile that would not seem out of place on a father, mother, or elder sibling. And then the gentle smile vanished, replaced by his typical insanity.

"Now, go. If we can pull this off we'll be even closer to our goal!" He struggled to keep his voice down.

Neither of the two Voltorbs cared about the goals of Team Magma. They only cared about their trainer and getting stronger. There were other Pokémon trained by Barclay that cared about such things.

They went to their positions as more Pokémon were released and Team Magma waited in the tall grass. The two counted down the seconds as they had been trained to. Time passed until it was their time.

Energy swelled up in the two voltorbs, too much for them to handle, too much for them to safely hold. Yet they held onto it anyway, summoning even more energy. Overloading was the basis behind Explosion and Self-Destruct. If done properly the Pokémon could overload themselves without crossing a dangerous threshold and release the energy without the risk of permanent damage. They would still hurt themselves and would most likely be out of the battle, but they would recover. Despite precautionary measures- either by accident or desperation- they could cross that critical threshold and release an even greater blast. But they would die.

Barclay had worked with his Voltorbs to develop a particularly fiery version of Explosion and had named it Fire Blossom. Fire Blossom was a two stage process where the Pokémon would first perform an Explosion that consisted almost entirely of thermal energy, simply dumping that power into the space around the Pokémon. Then, almost immediately afterwards, they would perform a second Explosion, releasing as much kinetic energy as they could in the attack. It was a dangerous technique to perform. They had trained for years to be able to use it safely.

If there had been an observer watching the Voltorbs in slow motion they would've been able to see the air shimmer and warp around the two as the first stage was performed. They would've been able to see the grass around the two flare, blacken, and wilt in a slow irregular circle centered around each Voltorb. And then they would see each pokémon glow briefly before the world was consumed by light.

Fire blossomed in two places by the edge of the herd of kangaskhans. The shock wave swept down upon the grass and roared a great loud and primal sound that few beings could equal. Twin beams of red light shot out, retrieving the voltorbs as the fires began to spread.

Kangaskhans roared in panic. Instinct took over and the herd moved away from the explosion, picking up speed. Their basic natures told the kangaskhan that they were under attack, that their young were threatened, that they should join together in a living battering ram to crush all those who stood between them and safety.

"Move!" Ranger Jenny shouted, forgetting about the danger from the people she was warning and rushing forward to push them out of the way. In Brock and Misty's case, it was unnecessary. In Tommy's case, World Burning Mother knew how to protect him. Ash, on the other hand, the furthest away from the ranger and the closest to the herd, was unprepared for the stampede.

"Woah!" The pokéraised child exclaimed as he felt the huge mass of kangaskhans rush by. He turned to see what the commotion was all about, not realizing the danger approaching.

_Idiot! _Pikachu shrieked. He _bit _his trainer on the ankle to try and get the human to move away.

Ash yelped and jumped away from the pain, but not quite out of danger. That bit was handled by Jenny, who grabbed him and bodily threw/shoved him away from danger. Pikachu darted forward after his trainer, barely escaping being crushed. Primeape and Magikarp dodged around for a little bit, before Ash managed to retrieve his wits and recall the two of them to their Pokéballs.

"Onix, defend!" Brock ordered as he released his Pokémon. The stone serpent bellowed its acknowledgement and swiftly moved between the source of the explosions and the humans plus World Burning Mother, carving a furrow through the tall grass and the earth beneath.

The order came none too soon. A pair of houndooms exploded out of the tall grass, mouths full of fire, eyes shining with a lust for battle. Ash went pale at the sight.

Flames washed over Onix with no effect as the two pokémon tried to worry his flanks. But since the two pokémon hadn't been able to hurt him with the skills they had displayed, the stone serpent made sure they didn't get past him.

Alice and Christopher observed a little ways off.

"The child is staying with the others," Christopher observed. "We can't afford to be careless with our attacks."

"I'll inform Barclay," Alice replied, reaching for a walkie-talkie on her belt. She relayed the information to the pyromaniac and waited for his disappointed response. After receiving it she turned back to her companion. "He and I will distract them with a frontal assault, assisted by your houndooms. Circle around back with your quilava and take them by surprise."

"Yes ma'am." The green haired man began to circle around. Alice watched him advance for a second before reaching for her belt.

"Go Suntongue, Brighty, and Flamewing!" More pokémon appeared her heatmor, her rapidash, and her combusken. "Help the houndooms!"

_If we have to, _yawned the rapidash, Brighty.

_Rock type, could be messy, could be fun, _replied Suntongue.

_Sure thing Miss Alice, _said Flamewing, the combusken, before launching herself towards the rock type, readying a flying punch.

Onix saw the approaching fire/fighting type. With a speed his bulk wouldn't typically suggest he managed to move out of the way of the potentially dangerous fighting type attack. Living rock was more fragile than the non-living kind. It contained more faults and cracks where water could invade, erode, grind, and even shatter, and was a prime target for a disciplined physical attack, such as the ones used by fighting types, to exploit.

"Geodude, Zubat!" Brock shouted as the ground rocked as the herd rushed away. "Time to shine." Pokéballs opened, Pokémon appeared. "Zubat, keep that combusken confused. Geodude, lock that rapidash down, I don't want it speeding around Onix and getting us. Misty, can you escort them out of here? Don't let Aaron fight. I think there was a forest two kilometers back east. We can meet up there. If I'm wrong just head to the nearest ranger station."

"Sure thing," Misty answered, nodding. "Go Staryu!" More white light blazed. "Come on you two. Kangaskhan, are you going to come with us?"

_We might lose this opportunity for Tomas if we don't, _World Burning Mother bellowed, making herself heard over the stampede.

"Yes!" Tommy relayed. He was settling down in his mother's pouch, curling up on himself in fright. World Burning Mother hunched over to offer him more protection, torn between fear and anger as new enemies came for her child.

"Good. Aaron, stick close to Tommy and his Kangaskhan. Jenny, do you have any Pokémon with you? Any ammo for that rifle?"

"No ammo, but I've got Charlie, my growlithe," the ranger responded.

"You make sure Aaron and Tommy stay safe then," Misty ordered.

"What Pokémon should I get out?" Ash called Aaron inquired.

"None right now. Keep them with you unless you get cornered. As the situation stands right now, you'll only get in the way," Misty bluntly informed him.

"I can-"

"No!" Misty grabbed the front of his shirt and forced him to look her in the eyes. "Stay with the kangaskhan and away from the fight like Brock ordered. Got it?" She growled out the question. Aaron nodded sullenly. Misty shoved him back towards the Pokémon and child duo.

Personally, the red haired trainer would rather have him assist in a limited manner under her direction. But she'd listen to the more experienced trainer and gym leader. She understood his reasoning. If Aaron participated in the battle, he was good enough to turn himself into a target.

Although, under the direction of her or Brock any risk would be minimized, so long as Aaron followed their orders to the letter. And if something unexpected happened, Aaron had proven that he could take care of himself to a degree. Their meeting, the battle at the village, and the brawl at Saffron had shown that.

Yet Misty had been a gym trainer rather than a gym leader, and the youngest sister of three gym leaders who raised her. Her experience was either serving under someone or going it alone. Instinct told her to follow orders, not to take the initiative.

Back at the struggle, Zubat had begun to assault Flamewing with Sonic. Flapping around her head like he was drunk, Zubat kept up the aural assault, avoiding the flames and flailing limbs of the fire fire type.

"Flamewing, Constellation!" Alice Newlands ordered. Abandoning her efforts to strike Zubat, Flamewing instead turned her head upward and let loose a stream of fireballs. Instead of continuing skywards, the fireballs fell back towards the earth and began to orbit around the combusken.

Constellation was a variant of Fire Spin developed by Alice to defend her Pokémon. It was a self inflicted Fire Spin, performed in pulses to create fireballs rather than a solid wall of flame. It was perfect for warding off attacks from small nimble Pokémon. The drawback was that it was still, in essence, a Fire Spin done on oneself. However since it did use pulses rather than a sheet, and since her Pokémon were strong against fire, the damage was bearable.

Armored now by tiny stars, Flamewing ignored the Zubat and rushed forward, still spewing balls of fire. Meanwhile, Geodude and the rapidash struggled together. The rock type had latched on to the fire type, arms clasped around the other's neck, and was choking the horse like Pokémon in an attempt to bring him down to the ground. Brighty, the rapidash, flared the flames of his mane to dislodge the intruder.

The air became hazy, grass wilted, and the area around Brighty was engulfed in roaring orange flame. Yet Geodude held on, forcing the fleeting fire type to fall to the ground. The two bodies rolled together, struggling to be the one that ended up on top.

Suntongue was slower than his two compatriots, but he made his way unmolested, so he was able to reach Onix. The large rock type was still trying to corral the two houndooms. He didn't need orders to know what to do next.

Yellow light shone and intensified as Suntongue readied his attack. In a move that Alice had named after him, Suntongue gathered fire in front of his mouth, maintaining an ever-hotter yellow mass of fire in front of his mouth. It was the anti-rock type attack that the two of them had developed. Given enough time, Suntongue could eventually use the Suntongue move to melt boulders.

Here he'd have to settle for wounding and possibly killing an onix.

Houndooms barked as they attacked. Onix roared as he was forced to expose his flank to stop the dark/fire types from reaching the humans behind him. Suntongue moved in for the telling blow-

Fire flared. Pokémon cried out. A mass of confusion.

-and was repulsed by the tip of Onix's tail. The living rock creature had jabbed at the fire type with the tip of its tail while it dealt with the houndooms. Rock had been charred and the very tip had melted, an excruciating experience, but he had managed to repel all three attackers. No, he had done better than that. A houndoom had been swatted by the stone serpent. One its legs had been broken and its partner had abandoned the fight to guard it.

Brock grimaced. He just needed to hold off this attack, most likely a diversion, long enough for the others to fight their way through the probable ambush. He didn't need to win here, not that he was sure that he could with the numbers the way they were. But his Pokémon would suffer...

* * *

><p>"Charlie, take point!" Ranger Jenny cried out, throwing a pokéball and releasing her growlithe. Ash-<p>

**barking. Dar**k shapes baying, fires roaring. Screams, blood, sm**oke and fear **

- shied away from the fire type. Charlie scampered ahead, attempting to sniff out anyone ahead of the group, which jogged behind him.

_Things ahead at eleven o'clock! _Charlie barked. _Fifty meters!_

"Enemies?" Jenny asked. "Where are they?"

_I just told you! _Charlie groaned, pointing with his nose. Something whizzed out of the tall grass and Misty shoulder-checked the ranger on instinct. The two girls went down as an arrow slithered through the air, cutting through a lock of Jenny's hair.

_This is why you need to listen! _Charlie admonished his trainer, forgetting that she couldn't understand him. The orange-furred Pokémon rushed back to guard his trainer.

"Staryu, Ice Beam that area!" Misty shouted, picking up her head. "Starmie, intercept any more arrows!"

A pale blue-white beam slashed through the general area that the arrow had come from. Ice encased grass and ground, leaving an irregular wall of crystal.

From a different area in front of them came a Flame Burst attack, the ball of fire bursting into multiple orange streaks as it sped towards Misty and Jenny. The two humans dodged the best they could amidst the rain of flame.

Jenny moved too slowly and one streak singed her arm. She hissed and clamped a hand over the suddenly red and black flesh. The pain was immense, she felt tears leaking out of the corner of her eyes, and she was losing her vision as the intense feeling overloaded her senses. She fell to her knees as she struggled with herself.

"Ranger!"

_Jenny!_

_Jenny! _Three beings shouted, a mother, her child, and one similar to her child. Despite whatever deception she had pulled on World Burning Mother and her adopted child, the ranger was still a friend. On instinct, the large Pokémon rushed forward, angling herself so that Tommy wasn't facing the direction that the attacks had come from.

Ash also tried to move forward. But Pikachu dashed to the ground and tripped him up, not wanting to try and talk his trainer into staying away from danger like the older and more experienced trainer, Misty, had ordered. "Starmie, Staryu! Winter Defense!" Misty shouted, crouched from rolling to avoid the fire fall. Her Pokémon instantly reacted. Pulses of blue-white light, with coruscating tendrils of similar colored power crackling around the center of each pulse, blasted forth. Irregular patches of ice sprung up everywhere that the pulses hit. No, not irregular, which implied a lack of similarity between the spots of ice. Rather it would be better to say that each patch was spiky and jagged, like overly large caltrops.

There was a clear path for the group to cross, no doubt part of Winter Defense. Misty helped the ranger up and turned back to Aaron, Tommy, and World Burning Mother.

"Come on!" Misty ordered, helping the ranger limp away.

Another Flame Burst erupted, from a new position. An Ice Pulse met it, the differences in temperature balancing and canceling both moves. Evidently, Winter Defense was both an environment altering move and a mode of defense.

"Charlie, how many are there?" Jenny asked, in a slightly husky and pained voice.

_Two, two! _Charlie barked twice, letting his trainer know as he had been taught.

"Is one of them human?" Jenny asked again, struggling to keep her head up.

_Yes, _Charlie replied with a nod.

"Sorry, didn't see that. Could you answer again?" Jenny requested.

_Yes, _Charlie repeated with a nod. At the same time, another arrow slithered through the air, seeking Jenny's heart. Quick as lightning, Staryu blasted it with an Ice Pulse, destabilizing its course. The arrow sliced across Jenny's shoulder before arcing onward and falling to the ground. The ranger let out another hiss of pain.

"Go flush out the human and kill him if you can," the ranger ordered. "Don't try and fight the Pokémon, just fight the trainer."

Charlie nodded and dashed off into the tall grass to begin a game of cat and mouse. Three more nearly vertical Flame Bursts rose from the grass. Staryu and Starmie attempted to cancel out the attacks, but the fires were just out of range. Each burst arced up well above the group before exploding.

More streamers of fire fell to earth, too many for Staryu and Starmie to stop. Ice melted and grass smoked as the attacks blasted the area where Charlie had run to and where the last arrow had come from. Jenny grimaced. That attack was meant to use smoke to hid the human's scent.

More fire flew upward, Flame Burst after Flame Burst climbing above Staryu's and Starmie's range before exploding. Misty and Jenny were forced to dodge once more, Jenny slowed by her burn. Staryu and Starmie were forced to direct their attention to putting out brush fires.

"I didn't want to have to risk this," Misty muttered. "Stupid who-ever they are making me do this. Grrr, if I get my hands on them..." She reached for another pokéball. "I'm going beat them black and blue... Go Psyduck!"

_Unusual time of year for bush fires, _Psyduck remarked upon release. _Usually they're more of a summer or spring thing, not a winter one. Especially not after ice starts forming._

"There's a human out in the grass somewhere," Misty informed the psychic duck, "I need you to locate him."

_Aye, aye! _Psyduck did a salute and began to waddle away.

"No you idiot!" Misty snapped, whacking him on the head. "With your psychic powers!"

_Ah, revving up the headache, _Psyduck commented, misunderstanding Misty's intentions for hitting him on the head. _One second..._

Psyduck opened his mind and reached out with his psychic senses, letting his developing headache lower the barriers around his mind. He 'looked' out, through the darkness of the mental landscape for the hazy light of other minds.

_You said one human, _Psyduck said to his trainer. _But I'm getting three._

"Did you find him?" Misty asked, unable to understand her Pokémon. "Yes or no?"

_Which one, there's three of them, _Psyduck responded. _Get Ash over here so he can translate. Did you want the Team Magma member or the two members of-_

A thin blast of extremely high-pressured water lanced through the grass, scything through the stalks that were in its path sending pieces of plant life flying. There was an inhuman screech of pain. Blood spurted, the small amount of crimson liquid barely noticeable in the tall grass, if eyes hadn't been drawing by a thrashing body within.

"Ha! Got 'em!" Jimmy Newlands bellowed. "Attack and kill them all!"

The prinplup on his right shrieked out a war cry. The wingull on his head sighed and rolled her eyes. More streams of water lanced into the grass, seeking the Team Magma Pokémon. All of them missed.

"Right, I forgot," Jimmy slapped his head. "Wingy, get up there. Tell us where they are."

The wingull rose, using her Keen Eye to search for the Team Magma members. A blast of fire rose in response but was blasted by an icy attack from Staryu.

"You didn't tell me there'd be another one of us here!" Juliet Kondo shouted, standing up.

"You idiot, you're supposed to be hiding!" Jimmy shouted back.

"Don't call me an idiot, idiot!" came Juliet's very mature response. "You're the idiot who didn't tell me there'd be another Team Aqua grunt here!"

Water and fire clashed within the tall grass as Juliet's dewgong fought alongside Jimmy's prinplup to hunt down the Team Magma quilava. They were aided by the cries of the wingull overhead. Christopher saw the argument between the two members of Team Aqua and attempted to pierce one of them with an arrow. It whizzed through the air with deadly intent, only to be deflected by a swift Water Pulse from Wingy.

_Leave those fools alone! _The flying water type cawed. _You've got enough to worry about with just us!_

Team Magma's quilava was hurled into the air by a torrent of water from Jimmy's prinplup. An Ice Beam from his dewgong caught the quilava before it could come back to the earth, replacing its flames with ice. The fire type hit the ground, large chunks of reddening ice breaking off as it did so. Before it could do anything two high-pressure Water Guns drilled through its flesh, one reaching its brain via its eye, the other tearing through a gap in its rips and through the organs beneath.

"NO!" Christopher couldn't help himself. His professionalism couldn't withstand his grief as his quilava died.

"Deal with him!" Jimmy ordered Juliet with a glare.

"Fine," Juliet grumbled. "Kill that land-shit, Wartortle."

_Aye aye, skipper!_ Wartortle's head was barely visible in the grass as he stood at attention. He let loose with a BubbleBeam at the source of the grief filled shout. The attack blasted the human, impacts breaking bones, rupturing organs, turning him into nothing more than a fleshy rag doll.

"See, he's dealt with," Juliet said with another glare in Jimmy's direction. "Now why didn't you tell me there'd be another member of Team Aqua here?"

"There isn't!" Jimmy contested loudly. "It was just another trainer with water type Pokémon. Where are they by the way?"

While Team Aqua had killed the Team Magma members, Misty and Jenny had managed to sneak the group past their opposition, the two female trainers keeping an eye on the newcomers. They had gained enough distance, that by the time the criminals noticed them, the group was able to simply start running. Water stabbed at the retreating humans but was stopped by ice, water, and the hard bodies of Staryu and Starmie.

When it became clear that they would escape, Jimmy and Juliet began to argue with one another. Wingy landed on Jimmy's head and rolled his eyes. His trainer was an idiot.

* * *

><p>Onix roared as Flamewing managed to land a Double Kick. Zubat rushed after her while pushing through the pain of a singed wing. Alice and Combusken had let the Constellation defense fade after Zubat had sustained the injury.<p>

Suntongue and Brighty struggled with Geodude, who was still wrapped around the rapidash's neck. The heatmor was attempting to pry the rock type off enough to try and use his signature attack to finish it off. He was only able to prevent Geodude from strangling Brighty.

Brock was busy trying to figure out how to withdraw. He needed Onix in good shape to make his escape, which meant that he couldn't turn his back on the combusken, especially with the state his tail was in. He'd have to gamble on Onix being able to defeat the combusken without taking too much damage, but if Zubat could just successfully confuse it...

Alice grimaced. This unknown trainer was good. He was able to hold her off, and if he was willing to risk it, could probably finish off her team off. Why wasn't he willing to risk it, though? Was it his small team? Was he hiding a weakness? Expecting more fights?

Or perhaps he was overly cautious? It could be a combination of the last two, Alice concluded. If that was the case she could free Brighty...

"Flamewing, Ultrapunch that geodude!" Alice ordered.

"Geodude, dodge! Onix, attack!" Brock shouted the moment he saw the combusken turn towards Geodude. Geodude gave up on the struggle with the heatmor and rapidash, flipping over the back of the heatmor to break its grip. At the same time Onix's horn plunged towards Flamewing's back-

And the talons of Flamewing were running up his back. The attack, Ultrapunch, had been nothing more than a feint, one that Brock in his cautiousness, had fallen for completely.

Geodude and Zubat retreated back to Onix, everyone's eyes on Team Magma's pokémon. Flamewing and Suntongue crouched down by Brighty, helping the rapidash pick himself up. There was an angry red mark around his throat where Geodude had been choking him. Geodude's arms were blackened by his flames.

Brock mind raced as he tried to think of a way out of his current situation. He needed to keep that rapidash down; it was fast enough to eventually get past his Pokémon and kill him. And he needed to retreat without Onix taking any significant damage. Zubat had his mobility impaired by his injury and Geodude's injuries were minor, but in a very inconvenient location.

It was times like these that made Brock miss his gym. Using gym Pokémon to augment his personal team was a luxury he took for granted back then.

A plan, far too risky for Brock's tastes, came into his head. He wouldn't be able to use Geodude again until he recovered if he went through with it… but if push came to shove...

"Looks like you got started without me," Barclay said to Alice as he joined her. "This guy giving you trouble."

"Some," Alice answered. "He could finish me off, but he's being cautious. Or he thinks he'll run into more trouble down the line or it's just how he is."

"Doesn't matter," Barclay replied, taking out a Pokéball. "The future isn't going to concern him, because he's going to burn right now!"

A Pokéball flew and a charmeleon was released, life flame blazing and roaring a challenge to the world at large.

"Charmeleon, Flameblind the onix when I say," the golden haired trainer ordered.

"Flamewing, after the onix is blinded, use Fire Spin on it," Alice joined in, the two members of Team Magma working seamlessly together. "Then use every fighting type attack you have on it to take it out. Brighty, kill the trainer. Suntongue, you'll get the geodude. Wait for Charmeleon to go first."

Brock winced when the new arrival made himself known. He couldn't hear what they were talking about, but he didn't need to know that the situation had definitely become dire.

"Geodude, on my mark, use Self-Destruct. As powerful as you can make it without permanently hurting yourself." Brock said. "Onix, get ready to make a break for it. Zubat, stay close to me so I can put you back into your ball. Got it?"

_Ugh, fine, _Geodude grumbled, nodding.

_Thanks in advance, Geodude, _Zubat said, also nodding.

_Anything you say, Brock, _Onix said, nodding in confirmation like the other two.

Two groups of Pokémon tensed about thirty meters apart, waiting for orders from their trainers, violence ready to re-erupt in the trampled area of grassland. But before either side received their orders a bone-shattering torrent of water rushed in from the side, speeding towards Charmeleon. The fire type heard it coming at the last minute. He ducked and rolled to the side, moving quick enough to merely have his head soaked by the spray surrounding the torrent.

His roll carried him out of the way of a Dynamic Punch from a descending poliwrath. Earth caved in around the point of impact and the poliwrath glared up at the chameleon that had barely avoided it.

Claws slashed, swift and deadly. Entrails spilled out. The poliwrath's gaze changed from a glare to a look of confusion and disbelief as it clutched at the organs spilling out of the hole in the front of its body. Charmeleon licked his claws once before charging at the wounded water type.

"Zubat, return. Onix, time to go," Brock hopped onto the serpent's back as a golduck charged in, using a Confusion attack to divert Charmeleon away the poliwrath. "Geodude, cover us." The smaller rock type latched onto the larger as it began to slither away, leaving a furrow in the earth as it did so.

"This way," Brock directed, making sure to direct Onix in a direction about twenty degrees off from the path Misty and the others should've taken. He didn't want to lead the attackers to them.

* * *

><p>"Do you think those Aquas will make trouble for Brock?" Jenny asked between pants, one hand on a tree as she leaned on it for support.<p>

"I don't know," Misty answered, slumped against a different tree. "I would've liked to stay back and try to keep a path open for him, but I don't know if he's going to come that way."

The group had made it to the forest. World Burning Mother and Tommy were fine, sitting together under a particularly large tree, the little human curled up in the Pokémon's large arms, both emotionally exhausted. Ash was off in the distance, holding on tight to Pikachu, barely keeping in sight.

Misty figured that the fear and stress of this situation was getting to him, even though it wasn't the first time he was in a situation like this. Fear, stress, and all those other emotions could be random in that regard; it was time and experience that gave one the ability to consistently deal with them. Maybe that was why Brock had wanted to keep him out of the fight?

Misty didn't know for certain on either topic. Though if she had known the truth about Ash she would have been able to correctly diagnose what was bothering him. The situation was hitting too close to home for the pokéraised child.

Half an hour passed- thirty minutes of silence. World Burning Mother had to deal with the fact that one of the worst fears of a parent was coming true, Tommy was simply overwhelmed, Jenny had to struggle with her regrets, Misty was replaying the events of the day over and over again in her head trying to think of what she could have done better and how she messed up, Ash was coming to terms about why Poison Lance had instilled a fear of discovery in him and fearing for Brock, and Pikachu... Pikachu was simply being there for his trainer.

A twig snapped and Misty immediately pulled out two Pokeballs. She motioned with her head to Jenny, silently instructing the Ranger to get the others further back. Jenny nodded and complied.

Misty snuck towards the source of the noise, keeping her head down and trying to stay silent. She poked her head around a tree-

A rocky gray hand grabbed her by the face, stifling any sound of surprise, hauled her up-

"It's Misty, put her down!" Brock snapped. Geodude's eyes widened and he let go instantly. Unfortunately this meant dropping her.

"Ow!" Misty rubbed her tailbone. "What was that all about?"

"Just trying to be safe," Brock said apologetically. "In retrospect we probably should've agreed on a signal."

"It sure beats your version of a hands on approach," Misty grumbled.

"Did everyone make it okay?" Brock asked, giving her a hand.

"Yeah, we ran into a member of Team Magma but we slipped away when Team Aqua arrived and they started fighting," Misty explained, getting up. "What about you?"

"Similar story," Brock replied. "Where are the others?"

"This way," Misty inclined her head to indicate the direction. The two headed deeper into the forest. Jenny, having heard Brock and Misty's voices, covertly looked out to make sure it was them, and then led the rest of the group towards the two.

"Brock, you're okay!" Ash brightened up upon seeing his friend.

Brock nodded to Aaron, a small smile on the older trainer's face. He then turned to the ranger.

"They were definitely after Tommy," Brock got right down to business. "Who know about him?"

"A small number of my clanswomen," Jenny answered, "and an even smaller number of other rangers. Eleven in total. They'll probably head here as discreetly as they can when they hear about the disturbance."

"The skitty's out of the bag now," said Misty, "do you have a radio on you or anything? "

Jenny looked ashamed of herself.

"No," the ranger answered. "When I headed out to stop you I panicked and forgot to bring one."

"Just swell," Misty muttered.

"Do the rangers do any air patrols?" Brock inquired.

"Afraid not," Jenny replied, "we don't have the budget. We've got a squad of pidgeots if we need a quick evac but we never patrol with them."

"Psychic monitoring?"

"Afraid not."

"Mystic protection."

"Nada."

"Just what sort of budget do you have?" Brock asked incredulously.

"A very very small one," the ranger answered. "It hasn't been an issue because what little we've had has been enough for basic security, and we've always had the support of the Fuschia gym. And every ranger is required to keep a radio on them at all times."

"A very sensible rule," Misty added. "One I can't imagine anyone would _ever _break."

Jenny flushed.

"I was in a hurry to try and stop something like this from happening," the ranger said tersely. "I'm sorry I panicked and made a rash decision while a child's life was on the line, something that a _perfect _gym trainer like yourself would never ever do."

Misty's gaze turned into a wrathful glare. The barb had cut deeply. Oh, how she wanted to deck the older woman...

"Quit it you two," Brock stepped between the ranger and the trainer. "Focus on the situation at hand. Right now we've got what's most likely Team Magma and Team Aqua fighting each other over Tomas. How many members of Team Aqua did you two run into?"

"Two," Misty answered, dropping the forming fight with Jenny. "They killed the member of Team Magma that had been harassing us."

"And their Pokémon?"

"A water/flying type, don't think it's native to Kanto," Jenny began, "named Wingy if that's any help, another bird like water type, don't know if there are any secondary types-"

"It was a prinplup," Misty interjected. "There was also a wartortle and a dewgong. What about you?"

"I saw a poliwhirl or poliwrath," Brock replied. "I don't think it matters because it got disembowelled by a charmeleon before I escaped. I also saw what I believe was a golduck."

"Was it blue, with a spiky crest, a bill, and a small red jewel in its forehead," Misty asked. Brock nodded. "Then it was a golduck," Misty concluded.

"On the Team Magma end of things I saw a rapidash, some sort of Pokémon with a thin head and a flame for a tongue, two houndooms, a charmeleon, and a combusken" Brock continued.

"I miss my gym," Misty commented, thinking about the large collection of strong water type Pokémon back in Cerulean city.

"I would've brought more Pokémon with if I had known I was going to be running into this on a semi-regular basis," Brock sighed. "Well at least Team Aqua and Team Magma are fighting each other-"

"Why?"

"Huh?" Everyone turned to Aaron. The boy was staring down at his feet, face lost in the shadow of his cap. His voice had been unsteady and warbling when he had asked that simple question, like it was ready to break.

"Why are they doing this?" Aaron/Ash asked.

"Because they want Tomas," Misty answered automatically.

"I know,but why are they doing this to get him?" Aaron's voice hitched. The sheer amount of fear he was feeling, was, in its own way, frightening. Fear for himself, fear for his team, fear for those back in the Pallet area, and fear for his friends.

"You mean why they are willing to go so far for him," Brock's tone was understanding. He didn't know exactly why the current situation was so upsetting to Aaron, but he had a couple of guesses. One was Misty's earlier theory. Another was that this was the first time where both the crisis had come out of nowhere and he had to deal with people and dying, and that this was the first time he had time to reflect during the crisis. (He was mostly wrong of course, but that was more a testament to Ash's ability to keep a secret rather than Brock's understanding.)

"Well, it's complicated," Brock began, putting a hand on Aaron's shoulder and lowering himself so that their faces where even.

He knew he should be talking with Misty and Jenny, figuring out what to do next, but...

He had been an older brother in charge of raising younger siblings. It simply wasn't in him to not comfort a child when he could, any more than he could resist trying to court a pretty girl and make her happy.

"Let's start with this," Brock continued. "What do you know about Pokémon?"

"They're Pokémon," Aaron stated, as if that summed everything up. From his point of view it sort of was.

"And Pokémon are?" Brock inquired.

"Uh... they're pretty much people," Ash said in the tone of a student trying to guess which combination of words would please the teacher.

"True, but that's not what I'm getting at. Tell me, what did I used to be?"

"A gym leader?" Aaron was growing confused by Brock's line of questioning.

"And what did I do then?"

"You helped protect the town and did League stuff."

"Good. And what exactly is the League?"

"Uhh... the guys you work for?"

"Technically correct, but not what I was getting at. When people are talking about the League they're either talking about the government of Kanto or its military force," Brock explained. "And there's not much difference between the two. Most member states just govern themselves with little interaction with the League, so the actual government is just a thin layer of paper pushers. The thing is, the Pokémon League's just supposed to be the name for the military branch, and yet many people think that it's the name of Kanto's government. That's because they are so powerful. And why are they so powerful?"

"Their Pokémon," Ash's reply was automatic, with enthusiasm starting to creep into his unsteady voice.

"Correct," Brock tapped the tip of the boy's nose. "As trainers we sometimes forget that Pokémon are more than just our friends. They're power... they're..." Brock struggled for a moment before recovering. "They're pretty important to most things nowadays and they've been pretty important for a long time. A strong Pokémon can be a source of power… and some people will do anything for power."

"But why go so far for Tommy?" Ash asked, still confused. "I mean I get that it would help them get some power, but understanding Pokémon can't be that valuable, can it? Can't they just teach them to read and write?"

"Leaving out some of the crazier reasons like certain cults, there are several reasons that being able to understand Pokémon can be incredibly valuable," Brock stated. "There's talking to wild Pokémon to gain information-"

Which Ash did on a daily basis.

"-which would allow people to ferret out a lot of secrets," Brock continued. "You can't exactly teach them all to read and write. And, yes, before you ask, that meowth that hangs around those Rocket freaks that stalk you could probably do that, but most of Team Rocket would never trust him. Moving on, it's a common practice to use Pokémon to pass on information to other Pokémon about a plan or a tactic. Understanding them would be like breaking a code, you could listen in on what used to be secret information."

Which Ash sometimes did, as well.

"It would vastly improve Pokémon-trainer coordination."

Which it did for Ash.

"And you could maybe teach other people how to understand Pokémon." Brock took a breath. "But those are just some uses, not the most important thing."

"What's the important thing?" Ash asked, fear growing once again.

"A doctor once told me that we don't understand the human body very well because it's so complex. But Pokémon, as a species, are even more complex." Brock stated. "We're told that somehow they're all the same species and yet you've never guess that by looking at them. And we don't really get how their powers work, or how their different bodies work, or how the things they share work. People are studying but there's just so much to look at. How they communicate is one of those things. The way we hear them, just saying one or two words, or even parts of a word, just shouldn't work. "

_We're fine with it, thank you very much, _Pikachu sniffed, faking offense.

"But it somehow does, between every Pokémon throughout the world" Brock bore on. "There must be more going on. Not every child raised by Pokémon are what we call pokéraised, only the ones that understand Pokémon and talk back to them. Most of those can't do that die, but the rest just end up feral. Why can only certain humans learn to understand Pokémon? What's the ability? And why can't most of them learn to speak a human language? Someone who understands both can unravel that mystery and with that information scientists could learn even more about Pokémon. And with comes power."

"What do you mean?" Ash asked. "How does that give power?"

"At one gym leader conference I had to go to, I ended up listening to a presentation from someone researching dragonites. At one point, he began listing the applications of his research. He talked about new power generators, new cables, new power conduits, and much more." Brock recalled. "If he could just understand a few things about how dragonites generated power. You ever see a dragonite Hyper Beam something? They're really powerful, and if people learned how dragonites are so powerful then we can replicate that power without them. And maybe even do it better."

Ash nodded. He was starting to see. People wanted to study Pokémon through Tommy, and by extension himself. Evil people would kill for that so they could get the power from studying.

Ash could be clever at times. When it came to people that usually wasn't the case.

Though it should be noted that Brock's explanation was not entirely correct. He was implying that there was a guaranteed benefit from the research when in reality research never really guarantees benefits. One did research because of what they did not know, not because of what they did. One might get nothing from research or one might get something beyond their wildest dreams. It should also be noted, that the being many believed to be the creator of the universe, to be god, Arceus, was a Pokémon. Some people were consciously seeking to discover the secrets of god.

And as Brock himself had stated, the gym leader hadn't even tried to cover the various ideological and/or religious reasons one might have for wanting to get someone like Tommy or Ash.

Something from Brock's explanation was bugging Ash- something not entirely related to the situation at hand. He almost dismissed it, but part of him needed to ask.

"Brock, if people are learning how to do all the stuff Pokémon can do without them," Ash/Aaron began, "Then where will that leave Pokémon when they're done." What would happen to Pokémon when people didn't need them anymore, when they were simply in the way?

Brock sighed.

"I don't know," the gym leader answered. "We're still struggling to find an acceptable answer to that. Lot's of trainers have left the League to go find an answer to that question."

"We once had a trainer like that," Misty interjected. "When I was younger. He was a pretty shy guy, but nice enough. He got along best with his Pokémon. I don't remember it too well, but he started talking about the 'future of human Pokémon relations' or something like that. He changed, got more aggressive. Eventually he left to go find an answer. Last I heard, he went off to Unova to start looking."

"The Pokémon League loses plenty of people like that," Brock nodded. "Pokémon extremists of all kinds. People who think we should get rid of civilization and live in harmony with nature, some who think that and that everyone should be a Pokémon trainer. People who believe that we're hurting Pokémon by being trainers, people who think we're enslaving them or oppressing them. People who think we just need to reset the human-Pokémon relationship. We're really lucky that they haven't formed an organization like Team Rocket. Team Magma and Team Aqua are really just local cults, and nobody really knows what's going on with Team Galactic."

"Doesn't anybody like the Elite Fours or old gym leaders have a plan? An answer?" Ash inquired, the unsteadiness leaving his voice.

Brock and Misty shook their heads.

"What about a Pokémon Master?"

"There aren't any Pokémon Masters right now," Brock grinned- a small, wry action. "But I'd imagine in order to find an answer that doesn't boil down to killing most Pokémon or forcing them into more regimented versions of the Safari Zone you'd probably have to become a Pokémon Master."

Ash nodded. That clinched it.

"Then it's decided," the young boy spoke. "I'm going to become a Pokémon Master and find an answer!"

_As long as you're at it, _Pikachu spoke up, _I guess I'm in for the ride._

_Yeah! _Tommy weakly cheered, a small measure of honest enthusiasm breaking through his emotional turmoil. At some point he and World Burning Mother had moved closer to listen in on the conversation.

"Good plan," Brock clapped a hand on Ash's shoulder. "But let's deal with the current situation first. We should find a defensive position-"

"We should really focus on getting Tommy out of here," Jenny interrupted. "Since we know jack and shit about the enemy's real strength, trying to bunker down and fight them might be suicide."

Brock and Misty looked at each other. Misty shrugged. She didn't feel qualified to comment on either choice.

Brock sighed. He would much rather prefer to take a defensive position, despite the drawbacks, but he recognized the ranger's point.

"Alright, considering how deep we are in the Safari Zone, I think we should try and get Tommy over to his parents," Brock stated. "I know they said they brought a helicopter. Aqua and Magma aren't known for their air power and I didn't see them with any Pokémon that could pose a threat to a helicopter once it's in the air."

"That's the best you can come up with?" protested Jenny. "A plan that relies on the enemy not being able to down a helicopter? When we only know a little about about their strength and abilities?"

"Do you have anything better?" Brock asked, raising one eyebrow.

...

...

...

"Well?"

"Give me a moment," said Jenny.

"Sorry but we're kinda in a really bad situation here," Brock added. "We could try to get him back to the city on foot, but we'd most likely have to fight the whole way back. We could try to get him to the rest of the rangers, but since word of this got out, we don't know who we can trust. We could try and send a decoy, but we don't have the people, and I don't think Kangaskhan would want to be separated from Tomas."

_Correct, _World Burning Mother said while nodding.

"Fine," Jenny gave in. "But we need to think of a safe way to get him to his parents. And we need to warn them that we're coming."

"You'd stand the best chance of reaching them. We could send you to warn them." Brock suggested.

"I can do that," Jenny agreed. "But how are you going to get Tommy and Kangaskhan there?"

_With__ the herd, _World Burning Mother interjected. Every human other than Ash and Tommy turned to her, faces uncomprehending. _Tommy, translate for me._

"Momma says to use the herd," Tommy relayed. "We have the herd just charge until we reach the heliopter-"

"Helicopter," Jenny corrected.

"Helicopter," Tommy repeated. "And then Momma and I can get away with human momma and poppa."

"That would work," Brock nodded to himself. "Misty and I can run interference, while Aaron stays close to you on the inside of the herd. Since they're not trying to kill you they hopefully wouldn't indiscriminately attack. Team Aqua and Magma aren't like Team Rocket, so they won't try and hurt the herd for helping you escape."

"So are we going with it?" Jenny asked.

"Yes," Brock replied, clapping his hands together. "Everyone get ready to move out. Ranger, we need to figure out where we're meeting up, everyone else make sure you've got everything, or done everything you need to."

The plan was set. The group was almost ready. It was nearly time for Tommy's fate to be decided.

* * *

><p>"Remember, head shots only," Sakura instructed Shinji. "And only if you're sure that the beast doesn't have the child and that the child isn't in the immediate vicinity. And only if the herd can't trace the attacks back to your position."<p>

"Yes, I know," Shinji angrily hissed back over the radio. "Don't worry about me, worry about the Grunts. They're the ones who will be handling the dynamite."

"I've already dealt with them," Sakura retorted. "I'll make sure that none of the monsters have the child before we throw dynamite at a cluster."

"There's still the risk he could be trampled," Shinji looked through a pair of binoculars at the kangaskhan herd.

"It's a calculated risk," Sakura defended her plan. "You couldn't come up with anything better."

"Just wanted my objections on the record," Shinji shot back, reaching for a pokéball. "When do we start?"

"Now."

* * *

><p>"And how does each faction fare?" The green haired man asked his comrade in Team Galactic, a man with purple hair. Once more the members of Team Galactic in the Safari Zone stood around the pool, looking at the images the black haired woman cast onto the face of the water.<p>

"Team Magma has lost more humans, Team Aqua has lost more Pokémon," the purple haired man concluded in a monotone voice. "Their respective strength is still equal."

"Team Rocket has the advantage of numbers," the man with dark blue hair spoke up without any emotion. "But not of quality. They pose little threat to any side."

"I cannot tell the true strength of those who have sided with the ranger," the black haired woman added. "A conservative estimate puts their united strength at a level higher than either the group from Team Aqua or the group from Team Magma."

"How do they fare in comparison to us?" inquired the purple haired man.

"Without knowing their truth strength I cannot say," the black haired woman answered. "If I must answer, then I would answer at least equal to our own. But only if they are united and only if they do not take any casualties before meeting us."

"We are not here to fight," the man with dark blue hair stated. "We are here to retrieve the child. Come, let us make a plan to do so, regardless of the strength of those who are in opposition to us."

* * *

><p>The plans were set. The groups were almost ready. Soon the die would be cast and Tommy's fate would be decided.<p>

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

You know one thing I really don't like about writing a pokemon story is all the fight scenes one has to deal with. I prefer less fight scenes and more dramatic ones. But that doesn't quite fit pokemon and I can't overuse dramatic language or it loses its effectiveness.

(Though I'm surprised that so many of you want to see more training scenes. Generally speaking I thought the only good parts about those were the character interactions, but it's a good context for that, and it helps to explore the mechanics of the world so maybe that's why they were liked.)

I also hate the releasing by chapter model. I like to be able to go back and edit things to set things up that would go really nice in the story that I didn't think of then, get rid of things that don't really fit, or stop myself from getting locked down by a detail that I need change to make something else work. That's a way of leading in to say that I changed some moderately significant events in chapter four. Nothing major but I vastly prefer it over the original.

On a happier note I got set up the long term plot, get some exposition out of the way, bring back some focus to Brock and Misty's characters (not much yet, but I agree with some of the reviewers who've said I've been neglecting them a bit), and other things I enjoyed.

Hopefully I should be able to rush out the next chapter of From Dust quicker than last time and get back to this story sooner, but one never knows. I'd like to thank PhoenixLyric for betaing this chapter since my other betas were busy.

**REVIEW **Seriously I have traffic stats and I know how low the percentage of viewers to reviewers is. So **REVIEW **:AN


	32. Chapter 32

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon

AN:Ninja Edited:AN

* * *

><p>Their strength lay not in pokémon, but rather in humans. Team Rocket drew in all sorts of people; disaffected youths, people angry at the world, people who had lost something to wild pokémon, idealists of the worst sort, hardened criminals, cold nihilistic cynics, people looking for a better life, those whose families were dedicated to the cause, and those who simply hated. That was what had allowed them to fight the newly formed League after the end of the Great War and that was what allowed them to survive and operate after their ideological opposite's victory.<p>

And that was why a man with a crossbow and men with explosives were able to attack the kangaskhan herd. Because Team Rocket tried to use the human solution whenever it could.

Dynamite exploded. A bolt whizzed. Kangaskhan screamed and died.

It is difficult to describe the terror that the pokémon were feeling. Being large grazing herd Pokémon, they were used to being preyed on by the top predators in the area and had the flight or fight instincts for that situation. They knew how to deal with that. The fact that their predators were usually pokémon meant they had the instincts to deal with explosions.

But predators didn't attack the whole herd at once. They didn't attack from multiple directions. They attacked the easiest prey. And they quit once they had their kill and the herd would leave them to it. It was a fear their instincts understood.

This was not that sort of attack. Their instincts couldn't deal with an attack like Team Rocket's. Wild, animalistic panic blazed through the herd. But they were pokémon, they were sentient. They had more then their instincts.

And that made it even worse. This was the second attack today, the second attack from an unknown source for unknown reasons. Children, their children were in danger. Children, their children, were dying in pain and agony. Friends were burning. They were burning as plumes of fire bloomed, waves of heat washed over their skin leaving a tingling uncomfortable warmth, flesh sizzled, the ground, no, their world shook and threw them around.

And beyond that there was their grief. The sudden yawning endless abyss as the realization that one's mother or one's child is now only a lump of rotting meat, that the irreversible, insurmountable, and inescapable change known as death had occurred.

The herd scattered. Team Rocket had carefully surveyed the herd before hand and made sure that the kid was nowhere near the blast zones. Although why they had chosen to use explosives in the first place was a question that only the leaders, who sometimes overrated their competence, could answer.

"Still no sign of the kid," Shinji said into the radio, readying another crossbow bolt as he spoke. He let the dart fly as the radio crackled in response.

"Nothing on this end," Sakura replied. "He's either well hidden or he's not with the herd."

"Look over the fallen," the male leader of the Team Rocket group told his compatriot. "We might have missed him when we were looking earlier."

"If he was in the blast zone then there's still a chance that he's alive," the female leader of the Team Rocket group thought aloud, over "as the kangaskhan would do everything she could to shield him before she died. I'll instruct the men to check each others zones."

The 'and blame everything on the one who missed the kid' went unspoken. If the kid had accidentally been killed both Sakura and Shinji would do their best to avoid any of the blame. And maybe that explained how they got to be in charge of the group and picked explosives to flush out their (relatively) fragile target.

Shinji continued to scan the herd as it milled about in confusion, idly picking off a new born futilely trying to wake up its dead mother, and two kangashkhans who were leading a column away.

"This should be the right herd," Shinji said to himself. "So where's the kid?" It would be a problem if turned out that they had to search the Safari Zone after making such a commotion. The explosion would've been heard for miles. Their plan had been for a quick and loud retrieval and then a quick and silent extraction.

His musing were undisturbed by the groaning, moaning, and dying of the sentient beings in the grass.

"We've got contacts," Sakura's voice suddenly sounded over the radio. "Deploying pokémon. There's only-"

Her words were drowned out by roars and screams and the crackle of flames and finally a burst of static. That was enough to snap Shinji out of his musings. He tuned his radio into the team's general frequency.

"We've got enemy contact!" Shinji bellowed into the device. "Get your pokémon out. I want-"

"To die! Flamethrower Charmeleon!" Rippling orange washed over Shinji who fell to the ground, screaming and rolling. White light blazed as the other members of Team Rocket released their pokémon.

"Knock out the pokémon and kill the Rockets," Barclay ordered his Charmeleon even as he threw one of his homemade explosive weapons. Another member of Team Rocket went down in flames.

Charmeleon nodded and leapt into action. There was fire, the flashing of claws, blood, and screams. And then, almost as soon as it had begun, it was over.

"Good for nothing Rockets," Barclay grumbled, kicking Shinji's corpse.

"They were reckless fools," Alice agreed, walking over. The sleeve of her uniform had been cut, showing the pale skin beneath that was marred with a brilliant crimson line. "Their foolish plan may have made ours impossible. And I'm going to need to ask you to cauterize this so we can keep moving."

"Shouldn't we do something to help them?" Barclay asked, looking at the ravaged herd. He would admit to taking extra pleasure in killing the Rockets just for what they had done.

"The best thing we can do for them is wrap up our business here," Alice told him gently. "Then they'll be out of the crossfire. Now please cauterize this."

Flesh sizzled. Nobody batted an eye. You couldn't be a member of Team Magma otherwise.

* * *

><p>"Where are those land shits off to?" Jimmy growled, "I want to finish off my sister once and for all."<p>

"For the hundredth time, I don't know," Juliet snapped back. "We've got to wait for Akiko to tell us."

The two quarrelsome members of Team Aqua looked over to their third member. The brown haired woman was cradling the body of her poliwrath, rocking back and forth as tears streamed out of her eyes. Her golduck, now missing an eye and cradling his mangled arm, was resting his beak on her shoulder, gazing sorrowfully at the body of his comrade. Two more of his comrades rested in their pokéballs; it was unknown if they would ever recover, but they were at least alive.

"She's going to be a while," Jimmy replied. "But if we wait too long they might get away with this!"

"I thought we were here to get the kid," Juliet asked, turning away from their comrade's grief.

"I don't care about the kid," Jimmy snapped back, clenching his fists. "Killing those land shits is more important! Lord Kyogres's triumph would be guaranteed if we wipe out Team Magma. We can get the kid when we're done killing them!"

"Kill them all!" Akiko wailed, standing up with her poliwrath in her arms, her tear covered face set in a fierce brown-eyed glare. "I'm going to kill them all for this!" Her golduck stood at her side, face still sorrowful rather than angry.

"Then it's decided," Jimmy exclaimed, raising his fist up against the world. "We're going to go killing land shits!"

His gaze eagerly searched the horizon as if he expected to see his enemy right then and there. Then his posture deflated, sheepish awkwardness replacing burning passion.

"Uh, how are we gonna find them again?" Jimmy asked the group.

They were silent for a moment.

"Aren't they after the kid still?" Juliet asked.

"So what?" Jimmy snapped back.

"Then we still got to look for the kid," Juliet explained. "We can just kill them there."

"I guess you're right," Jimmy acknowledged, deflating a bit more at the prospect of admitting that.

"It doesn't matter," Akiko's eyes were flat, dead, and hard, like ravaged, drying mud. "So long as they die."

* * *

><p>Brock held Geodude and Onix's pokéballs in one hand, between his fingers. He kept low within the tall grass, crouched on one knee and hand. Nervousness ate away at the inside of his arms, of his legs, the uncomfortable tensing of muscles as he automatically, unconsciously prepared for an attack. Stealth wasn't his forte and being forced to play hidden backup during a crisis situation was putting him on edge.<p>

But they couldn't risk Ranger Jenny, the only person who personally knew the Safari Zone, was the best among them at tracking, and was the one who was going to need to sneak off to getting hurt or killed. And since Aaron and Tomas were well hidden in the forest, and Tomas would have Kangaskhan with him at all times, it made more sense to leave Misty with them.

So Brock waited for Jenny to return, call out, or for him to hear the sounds of combat. His original idea had been to wait until nightfall before enacting their plan, but Jenny wanted to get moving before it got dark out. Since she had to figure out the most likely location that the herd had ended up for them, she had wanted to get started during the day. It was a plan that put Tomas, Jenny, Kangaskhan, and Aaron in greater risk of discovery. Brock didn't like it.

And he really didn't like the lack of visibility. He knew that just because he couldn't see them, crouched down in the tall grass as he was, it didn't mean that they couldn't see him. Leave stealth to Koga and his ninjas.

There was a rustling sound in the tall grass to the right of him. Brock focused his attention there, readying his pokémon for release.

"Brock," Jenny whispered softly as she rejoined him. "I think I know where they've gone. Get your map out."

"Can we get back into the trees first?" Brock asked, "We're exposed out here."

"I don't have time if I'm going to go get Tommy's parents," Jenny answered. "I'll be as quick as I can. They're to the south-"

She pulled out a red marker, and began to draw on a Safari Zone map Brock had picked up when they checked in. The ranger quickly explained where it was, the best way to get there, how long it should take them, and what they could expect on their journey.

"That everything?" Brock asked.

"That I can think of," Jenny replied. She glanced around, checking the position of the sun that was beginning to set, spilling streams of orange light all over the terrain. "You'll probably want to wait about seventy minutes before starting out if you want to do most of the travelling after dark."

"I'll keep that in mind," Brock said. "Good luck."

"Thanks," Jenny gave him a nod, and then crawled away, beginning her journey back to the campsite occupied by Tommy's parents.

Brock waited a minute and then slowly made his way back to the forest. As soon as he was in the trees he began stretching, trying to relieve the tension that had built up while he was with Jenny. He sighed.

Of all the luck. Why did all the time he got to spend with that beautiful ranger have to involve danger of some sort? What a wasted opportunity. He'd make Team Aqua and Team Magma pay for this!

Brock made his way back to where Misty and the others were hidden. Misty had put on some of her armor, covering her arms and vitals spots, forsaking the rest for extra mobility in the current situation. Her knives were sheathed at her sides, and she was going over her pokémon, making sure they were as close to one hundred percent as they could be for any future fights. Her face was twisted into a resigned frown and her shoulders slumped as she worked.

Aaron, Tomas, and World Burning Mother were eating. Aaron had gotten out some pokéchow and trail rations and had given them to World Burning Mother and her human child. The two of them were digging with the panicked gusto of the fearful, the pokémon's mouth in the bag, the small human barely pausing to breathe between bites.

Aaron on the other hand, was picking at his food, eyes downcast. He was slumped against a tree, head and shoulders hanging down and forward. Pikachu poked him, squeaked something at him, and then rolled his eyes while Brock was approaching.

Misty glanced up from her pokémon and noticed Brock approaching.

"Hey," she said. "Any news?"

"Jenny pointed me to where the herd is," Brock answered, pulling out the map, unrolling it, and showing it to Misty. "From the looks of this map, we can start now and stick to the forest for most of the journey."

"I've got no problem with that," Misty said, nodding. She turned to the large pokémon and the two younger males. "You guys ready to go?"

World Burning Mother tore into her food with increased ferocity, tearing apart the bag and sending bits of pokéchow everywhere. In seconds she finished, stood to her full height, and shook her head vigorously, sending more food flying from her face.

_I'm ready now, _she replied to the human's question. _Tomas?_

The blue haired child stuffed more food in his mouth, until his cheeks bulged like he was a squirrel.

_I'm ready now_, Tommy answered while chewing.

Misty turned to Aaron, who was still picking at his food, giving no indication that he had heard her.

"Aaron?" She asked again. There was still no response.

Pikachu rolled his eyes and then shocked his trainer.

_Remember to speak human when you start shouting, _Pikachu told his trainer, who was laying singed on the ground, shocked by the sudden shock of Pikachu shocking him. _And try to respond to Misty idiot. You'll get yourself killed today if you don't start paying attention again._

"Pikachu! What are you doing? We can't afford to have anyone injured right now!" Brock admonished the electric type, frowning and glaring at the pokémon. "And Aaron, get your head in the game. Pay attention!"

"Sorry," Ash said without energy. "What were you guys saying?"

Brock and Misty glanced at each other. They both thought that he had bounced back after his talk with Brock. Evidently that was not the case.

"Are you alright? " Brock asked Aaron.

_Yeah, _Pikachu said. _You didn't even get mad at me for electrocuting you just now._

"I'm fine," Ash answered Brock overtly and Pikachu covertly. "I'm just worn out."

"Just stay awake until we get back to the herd," Brock told him. "After that you can rest."

_You're not tired, _Pikachu countered. _I've seen you tired before and you weren't like this. As soon as we get some privacy you're going to tell me what's really wrong._

The group packed up and moved out. Sunlight moved towards the color of blood and the world turned darker. As the light died, traversing the forest became more difficult. Brock and Misty started having trouble avoiding tree roots, large rocks, and other tripping hazards. World Burning Mother, a grazer, was also having difficulties. Pikachu, a forest dwelling pokémon was able to traverse the terrain with ease. Ash, having been raised in a forest-

Was trudging along at the back. When Pikachu noticed this, he rushed to the rear of the group to join his trainer.

_Alright idiot, what's up? _The electric type asked Ash softly, jumping on to the boy's shoulder. _This isn't like you at all._

Ash glanced at Brock and Misty, making sure they were out of earshot for soft speaking before responding.

_It's complicated, _the pokéraised child responded to his friend's concern in a quiet voice.

_We've got time._

Ash sighed.

_It's a bunch of things, _Ash told Pikachu.

_What things?_ Pikachu pressed.

_You just won't take the hint, will you? _Ash asked, exasperated.

_I simply assume that you're not subtle enough to drop hints. Now talk. _Pikachu tapped his foot on the shoulder he was standing on.

_Well I've got to figure out what the future of pokémon and humans will consist of, help Tommy reunite with his human parents, make sure that they don't try and take him away from his other mother, worry about Jessie and James messing with us while we're trying to do this, whether or not I should tell Misty and Brock that I'm pokéraised, and I think our camping permit is only good for a couple of days, so I won't have time to meet more pokémon here._

Pikachu gave his trainer a flat, hard look of disbelief.

_You can worry about almost all of that later, _the pokémon snapped. _Right now you need to focus on Tomas. We can get a new camping permit later, we can't do anything about Jessie and James, we can let Brock and Misty handle Momma and Poppa, and you can leave the future stuff to me._

_What? __**I**__ was going to figure out an answer to question posed by the future! _Ash protested.

_Psshah. You'll eventually wisen up to my obvious mental superiority and realize that the best thing you can do for the world is to be my messenger among humans._ Pikachu nodded to himself.

_... Is this related to your birthday request for goats and a chariot?_

_Possibly,_ Pikachu answered.

_Pokémon don't __even__ celebrate birthdays, _Ash protested. _Why did you tell me that list? Do you even know when your birthday is?_

_We're among humans now and celebrating birthdays is a human tradition. One should always try and honor the traditions of one's hosts, _Pikachu replied sagely, nodding to himself again.

_Do you even know when your birthday is? _Ash asked Pikachu, narrowing his eyes and speaking in a suspicious tone.

_I figured that I'd just use yours._

_I don't know when my birthday is-_ Ash began.

_Really? Every other human seems to know their birthday? How'd you forget? _Pikachu tilted his head, puzzled.

_Well toddlers generally don't know their birthdays and everyone who could've told Poison Lance was either dead or couldn't be talked to, _Ash snarked back.

_Then I decree that we steal Brock's birthday! _Pikachu exclaimed.

_Why not Misty's?_

_Because she's cuter than Brock, _Pikachu answered.

_And why should they listen to you anyway? _Ash asked, glancing back at the group to make sure they were still out of casual earshot. They were, but Brock turned and caught Aaron's eye, gave him a quick glare, and motioned for him to hurry up before continuing forward.

_Because I command the lightning!_

_They don't know that, _Ash reminded his first pokémon, mentally thanking providence for that fact. He didn't want to know just how irresponsible teaching Pikachu to harness a powerful force of nature was. The punishment would probably be life imprisonment or being permanently committed to an insane asylum.

They ceased their conversation there, hurrying up to stick close to Brock and Misty. The sun continued to fall from the sky and the colors of the world started to fade in to the grey-black of night. If one were to glance up at that moment, and had a clear view, they would've been able to see the colors edging the sky flow into a deep velvet that turned into the rich darkness of the night sky.

It was because of the fading of the light that they didn't realize what they were seeing when they reached their destination. There was a sickening smell when the exited the forest. The grasslands beyond were filled with strange, large, dark lumps and marred by small craters. Brock looked quizzically at his map, holding it up to catch the last of the light.

"This should be the place," he told the others. "Did they move?"

World Burning Mother sniffed the air.

_Someone burned here, _she stated aloud, sniffing deeply. The scent tickled something at the back of her mind. She sniffed deeply, straining her senses and memory to try and figure out what she should be thinking about or remembering.

And then it hit her, like a sharp blow to the stomach.

_Oh no._

Those who could understand pokémon and even those that couldn't sharply turned their heads towards her when they heard her suddenly broken sounding voice.

_Mommy? _Tomas reached up and tugged on her elbow, giving his adoptive mother a look that was between concern and fear. _What's wrong._

_It's them. It's the herd._

It can be difficult for human children to understand, truly understand death. To understand that another being will never touch them again, never again speak, or cry, or play, or love, or eat, or drink, or ever be seen, all of them be seen and not just a lump of rotting meat. Pokémon were different. Death was a constant part of life. Everyone was killed and everyone killed; even herbivores ate certain grass-type pokémon. Death was understood and accepted.

But accepting death didn't mean that one couldn't be hurt by death. All sentient beings who ever valued another's company were hurt by death. And to find out that there had been a massive death of those close to oneself-

That was incomprehensible for everyone at first. It could take minutes for the full realization to sink in. Not the full realization of all the deaths, but rather it was not some generic disaster. That it was the end for them.

Some might take more time for the weight to sink in. Others might be hit with it like a freight train the first very instant that it could. It depended on the individual.

Humans might collapse to their knees. They might go cationic. Their minds would do their best to refuse the truth for as long as they could. Or their minds might try to hide from it. Or they might wallow in it. One could never know. The pain would never fade, it would always stay the same size, the closest it would come to ever shrinking was in proportion to the person as they grew beyond it, as it was buried under new emotions and experiences.

And it wasn't just the pain. Humans were always thinking of the future. An instance of sudden death would make a human realize that it could happen to anyone they cared about in the future. Death brought fear. And thoughts about the future reminded them that death had already taken from them. The future was permanently lessened. Death stole happiness. And in the future that they thought of, the humans would see themselves still hurting, still grieving.

Death brought despair.

And even the past was tainted by death, as each happy memory would bring the knowledge that one of the beings treasured was forever gone.

Death ruined memories.

Pokémon endured the pain. It hurt, but it was a familiar sensation. Pokémon were creatures of the present. There was less dwelling on the past for them, and much, much less thinking about the future. The experience came as close to being forgotten as anything could without actually being forgotten. There was always variation, between indviduals, and between wild versus trained pokémon, but for the most part, the species would continue almost as if nothing had happened after the sudden knife of death had struck close to them. This was because pokémon were naturally creatures of the present.

And that was why humans, creatures of the future, decided the course of the world.

Because of all this, neither World Burning Mother or Tommy did anything along the lines of collapsing to their knees, clawing at the ground, or howling their grief to the world. The kangaskhan simply rocked gently from the shock. The pain was there, but they would endure until it was safe, grieve, and move on.

To pokémon who weren't so involved, it would've been a fearful sight. Those without a trainer, family, or friends in the area would flee as fast as they could. Pikachu felt uncomfortable at the sight of the slaughtered kangaskhans. The grief of World Burning Mother and Tomas, subdued as it was, made him want to go cuddle with them, but the slaughter unnerved him in a way he couldn't describe. Had Pidgeotto been out she would've avoided looking at the scene as best she could. Charmander would've wanted to hide behind Ash, but the fire type would not have done so, not wanting his trainer to think him weak. Primeape would have been confused.

Magikarp's only reaction would be to sigh, if he were out of his pokéball at the time. Squirtle- Squirtle would get mad and swear to do something to redress the wrong. Butterfree, if he were still with them, would have suggested finding the surviving members of the herd and offering to help.

Bulbasaur would have no reaction. Scattered corpses, needlessly slaughtered, burned innocents, children dying before their mothers, mothers dying in front of their children, none of those were things he hadn't seen before.

Brock was a young gym leader from a quiet area. The sight of the massacre was new for him in terms of scope, but his prior experiences were enough to help him deal with it. Instead of shock and sickness, the boy from Pewter City felt only a slow burning rage, like the embers at the bottom of a fire, not as bright as the flames but far hotter.

Misty had only been a gym trainer, and the youngest sibling of the three gym leaders who were also raising her. The Sensational Sisters of Cerulean City would never have let her near anything like the field of dead bodies. She had no prior experience to blunt the knife of fear, dread, and disgust that the sight stabbed her with.

But she did have her training. She did know that she was able to make a difference. She had her pride. And she was stubborn. Together it was enough to turn away the knife, allowing her to swallow the emotions and suppress them.

It was Ash that who came the closest to falling to his knees. It was Ash who came the closest to giving into fear.

He remembered the flames. He remembered the screams. He could vaguely remember the pain of not seeing them again. Even less defined was the memory of the fearful flight and the final death, but it still lurked within his mind, like a shark dwelling in dark waters, occasionally breaking the surface of the waves with its fin and reminding the dry world of the monster in the wet world.

This sight, this mass of death, was something that could happen to his home. The fires, and the screams, and the dark shapes, and the fear, and the death, it could all come back.

His mind was filled with an altered version of the image his eyes were seeing. Instead of the large forms of the kangaskhan, there were smaller forms. Pidgeys, rattatas, nidorans, caterpries, and other types, large and small. In the place of the kangaskhan young, there were his friends, the small pokémon he had played with. And in the center, there was a dead pikachu, a dead butterfree, a dead squirtle, a dead charmander, a dead pidgeotto, a dead bulbasaur, a dead primeape, a dead magikarp, and a dead weedle.

There had never been a point in his life where he had been raised to be a pokémon, unlike with Tommy or any other pokéraised child. Poison Lance had always made sure that Ash was being raised as a human, to be a human. He had taught Ash to think about the future and to value his intelligence.

Thus Ash couldn't simply endure it like a pokémon. The only reason he didn't give into the animal like fear that was ripping and tearing at his mind was that he had to act _normal_. He had to do his best to avoid attract attention to himself for the wrong reasons.

Poison Lance had given Ash the greatest protections he could. Anonymity and secrecy. They were protections greater than all of Lucas's old team put together. It should have worked. Ordinary trainers did not stumble into the situations Ash had whenever they went somewhere.

Poison Lance had drilled into him the desire to appear normal, to not attract attention for the wrong reasons. And now he had a very clear picture in his head of what could happen if his secret ever got out.

It couldn't. Nobody could ever know. This could never happen. This would never happen.

Ash forced himself to repeat that in his own head, eyes closing tightly, eyelids squeezing together in fear. It would never happen. His secret would stay safe.

Pikachu noticed something was wrong with Ash, as his trainer wobbled and repeated the mantra inside his head. The yellow pokémon quietly nuzzled the black haired boy's cheek.

For several minutes that felt like hours, nobody spoke.

"This was just senseless," Brock said finally. "I can't think of a reason why'd they'd do this. It's not even Team Magma's M.O."

"Maybe it wasn't them," Misty spoke up, pointing. There was a charred human corpse slumped up against a tree. Most of the body and its clothes were blackened from whatever fire had killed it, but if one looked closely, they could make out a discoloration shaped like a large R.

"Team Rocket doing this would make more sense," Brock agreed. "But that's even worse- now we have to worry about them going after Tommy."

_What do we do next? _World Burning Mother asked, relaying her question through her human child.

"I'm not sure," Brock admitted, resting the side of his face in his palm. "I don't think we're good enough to sneak past Aqua, Magma, and Rocket. Since Jenny doesn't know that Team Rocket's here, we can't count on her safely reaching Tomas's parents."

"We could hide in the forest," Misty suggested. Brock shook his head.

"It would only buy time, and with no guarantee of reinforcements, that's simply delaying the inevitable."

"We could hunt them down first," Misty threw out another idea.

"We don't know their full strength, and we can't effectively protect Aaron and Tommy while attacking them," Brock shot that one down as well.

"What do we do then?" Misty asked desperately.

"Hmmm... Kangaskhan, just do you think you could keep up with an onix?"

* * *

><p>"Is it just me, or do we use Onix as a solution to a lot of our problems?" Misty asked Brock.<p>

"Well, if you can't endure until the problem goes away, then you can just smash the problem, and Onix is great at both options," Brock replied. Brock, Misty, and Ash were sitting on Onix, near the stone serpent's head. Ash and Misty were clinging onto the rock type, while Brock was calmly sitting.

Brock turned back to address Aaron.

"Don't tell your pokémon anything that we haven't approved," the dark skinned boy told the younger sternly. "We can't afford any mistakes here."

"Yes Brock," Aaron replied with little trace of life in his voice. Perched on his left shoulder was Pidgeotto, doing a pre-flight preen. On his right shoulder, Pikachu gripped the cloth of Ash's jacket tightly.

Behind them were Tommy and Bulbasaur. Bulbasaur had used one of his vines to tie the blue haired boy onto the rock type pokémon. A second secured Bulbasaur himself to Onix. Another more acted as a tether for Squirtle, who stood near the rear of Onix, ready to discourage pursuit. Between them and Bulbasaur, Primeape clung to Onix using three limbs, using his last to hold Magikarp.

Starmie and Staryu swirled around Onix's head, preparing to defend the rock type against possible water attacks. Geodude floated near Brock, awaiting his trainer's orders. World Burning Mother stood by Onix's side, staying near her son.

"Everybody," Brock spoke up loudly, "our only goal here is to keep everyone alive and get Tommy to safety. No heroics, stick close to the group, and don't die! Everyone got that?"

_Nobody touches our idiot or his friends! _Pikachu cried out to his comrades.

_Anyone who thinks that they can get my son will die! _World Burning Mother roared.

There were more cries of affirmation, cries of approval, and nods from Misty and Ash.

_Again and again, it never changes, _Bulbasuar said quietly, eyes distant as he remembered his past.

"Good. Move out!"

At Brock's command Onix surged forward, carving a furrow in the grasslands. World Burning Mother began to run, pounding footsteps sounding as she kept up with the other pokémon. Pidgeotto took off from Ash's shoulder, gaining height to keep an eye out.

"How long do you think it'll take?" Misty asked Brock, speaking loudly over the sounds of their travel.

"Well it's only between ten and fifteen miles away," Brock answered. He looked towards the horizon, where the last bits of light were falling out of the world. "It should take about forty minutes."

"Should we have Aaron get Charmander out? Extra protection in case they find us."

Brock shook his head.

"His tail flame's too visible at this hour. We'll have Aaron get him out only if we do get attacked."

"If he's too visible, then why use him at all?" Misty questioned.

"He just needs to buy us a little time. We're only trying to get Aaron, Tommy, and Kangaskhan to the helicopter," Brock informed her. "Just because they can see us doesn't mean they can get to us before we drop them off. Once they're safe, you and I will have an easier time getting out of the Safari Zone and back to the Fuschia City gym."

"You're not sending me away," Ash protested.

"Yes we are," Brock shouted back. "You'll be safer there, Misty and I can escape easier, and you can use Pikachu to fend off any flying types that they might try and send."

Ash didn't argue back.

Brock's meager hopes for avoiding discovery were smashed about fifteen minutes into the journey.

Fire knifed out of the blackness, creating an island of orange light in the dark sea of the night. Staryu countered with a brief pulse of ice beam, sending a packet of blue light against the orange. Power clashed and temperatures equalized.

"Aaron, get your last pokémon out!" Brock shouted, shielding his eyes from the stabbing light with his hand. "Geodude, protect the ones in the middle."

More fire bloomed in the night. Brock could feel the dry heat from the flames on his skin, a stark contrast to the chill of the night. Staryu and Starmie countered again, five bursts of cold versus five bursts of heat. White light blazed behind Brock and Misty and a vine wrapped around the newly released Charmander.

"Onix, pick up the pace if you can!" Brock ordered. "Kangaskhan, do your best to keep up. No point in hiding after their light show. Aaron, have Pikachu blind them!"

"Pikachu, don't hit Pidgeotto, use Thundershock!" Aaron ordered. "Bright as you can!"

_Sure thing! _Electrictricity crackled, tendrils of power erupting from Pikachu as he jumped off of Ash and onto Onix. Yellow-white light flared, eye searing in the night.

More fire answered, but it was inaccurate. Misty's pokémon didn't even bother countering the assault.

And then they were past the sources of the flames. Brock let out a sigh of relief. They were past the first and hopefully only wave.

"Alright, here's to hoping that we don't run into Team Rocket or Team Aqua next," Misty said.

"Well we're about halfway there so we've got a good chance," Brock told her.

Neither of them were giving any more thought to Team Magma. Which was too bad, as Team Magma hadn't been trying to stop Onix, or even hurt him. They had simply want to partially blind the riders and the mount.

Slowly a stowaway crept up Onix's tail. It was careful to keep its grip light; rock types weren't known for their sensitivity. His tail was bothersome, it was a pain to keep it covered even with the special hood his trainer made.

The stowaway used the light from the newly released Charmander's tail observe his targets. He'd need to kill the squirtle first, then the bulbasaur to get rid of the vine tethers, and then he'd grab the human child. After that it'd be a matter of avoiding the Staryu and the Starmie until he could rejoin the Team Magma group.

Claws were readied in the darkness. Muscles tensed-

_Enemy on Onix's tail! It's a charmeleon! _A voice shouted from above.

Charmeleon moved even as he cursed his misfortune. Claws flashed in the light of Charmander's tail.

_Yipe! _The claws met only air as Squirtle ducked his head into his shell. Charmeleon turned the failed slash into a spinning back kick. Squirtle was sent flying off of Onix with a dull thump.

"Onix stop! Misty have your pokémon take care of that Charmeleon!" Brock ordered, having turned around when he heard the commotion.

"Staryu, Starmie-" Misty began. But she was cut off by the sound of water and Onix's pained roar. A lance of high pressured water had shot out of the darkness and blasted several fist sized chunks of rock off of Onix.

"Guard Onix!" The redhead changed her order.

"Onix, go left!" Brock ordered. "Aaron, do your best back there! Team Aqua just found us."

"Bulbasaur, pin him down with Razor Leaf and get Squirtle back up!" Ash shouted. "Charmander-"

Before Ash could finish giving instructions the enemy pokémon surged into action. Scrambling over Onix's segments, Charmeleon rushed Charmander, making sure to keep Ash's fire type between him and Bulbasaur.

"Charmander get out of there!" Ash's voice rose sharply as he saw Charmander in danger.

_I can't, _Charmander managed to reply before being forced to duck back from a slash aimed at his throat. The charmeleon pressed the attack with a headbutt that Charmander fell backwards to avoid. He raised his silver claws to finished off the downed fire type as Charmander tried to scramble backward-

And then the Charmeleon ducked on instinct, a blue blur passing over his head, propelled by a Water Gun attack. Primeape had to duck to avoid being clothes-lined by the vine attack to Squirtle.

_Stay down! _Bulbasaur warned. He fired off four Razor Leaves. Charmeleon turned them to cinder with a burst of flames. The orange pokémon glanced to the side. He caught a glimpse of movement.

Squirtle came blasting back at the stowaway Charmeleon. This time though, the fire type was prepared. He spun around and lashed out with another back kick, making sure to hit Squirlte from below. Ash's pokémon was sent flying upward until he Bulbasaur's vine snapped taunt. Physics took over and Squirtle path changed to a downward arc. He hadn't had time to react to the sudden change and hadn't quit using Water Gun.

There was a loud thunk as Squirtle hit the ground, the impact jarring him such that his head and limbs popped out of his shell, and a quieter thunk as Squirtle bounced into Onix headfirst. The water type went limp.

_Squirtle's out! _Pidgeotto shouted. _Ash, get him out of here!_

Red light reclaimed Squirtle.

"Pidgeotto, Quick Attack!" Ash ordered. "Primeape cover Charmander!"

On hearing Ash call out to a flying type Charmeleon pointed his head upward and used Fire Spin. A spiral of fire sped upward like a predatory tentacle. Pidgeotto Quick Attacked right into it.

She shouted a phrase that children shouldn't hear and then tumbled out of control. Wings angrily flapping, she managed to regain control of her flight even as she burned.

Charmeleon snapped his head back down, ready to deal with Primeape, but a red boxing glove like fist hit him right in the snout. Snout stinging, Charmeleon stumbled back- only to be hit on the side of the head by a magikarp.

_The hell? _Charmeleon held the side of his face. That was unexpected.

_Y'all just need to get off! _Charmeleon barely managed to jump back to avoid getting kicked in the stomach. He retaliated with a wide gout of flame meant to force the attacker back. But out of the flames burst Primeape, shielding himself with Magikarp.

Primeape came in with a sweeping low kick, knocking the fire type off of his feet.

The fight should have ended right there and then. But, in a display of dexterity that his kind wasn't known for, even as he was falling, Charmeleon wrapped his tail around Primeape's arm. Charmeleon yanked, fell onto his back on Onix, Primeape's face was slammed into Onix, and the fighting type was barely able to hold onto Magikarp.

Charmeleon lurched upward, getting back on his feet with one violent movement. Primeape pushed himself up with one arm and swept Magikarp forward with the other. Charmeleon kicked at him with one clawed foot scratching up and scraping off several scales.

_Ash, get 'im outa here! _Primeape shouted, flipping back on one hand and tossing Magikarp back towards his trainer.

_Wait! Keep me out here, this Charmeleon might kill me, _Magikarp pleaded before a beam of red light sucked him into his pokéball.

Charmeleon had no words for his now magikarpless opponent. He simply lunged forward with a Fire Fang. Primeape bit back a cry of pain as the attack grazed his hand. He used his unwounded limb to backhand Charmeleon, buying space.

_Pikachu, do ya think ya could give 'im a zappin? _Primeape called back to his comrade.

_Ash has me busy trying to zap Team Aqua,_ Pikachu shouted back. _Didn't you notice the lights?_

_His fire's bright enough thank ya, _Primeape retorted, glancing at the wound on his hand. It wasn't too bad; he could still fight with that hand.

The fighting type threw a one-two jab at Charmeleon, with a speed that would be hard to track in the day and was practically invisible at night. The fire type staggered back, recovered his stance, and forced Primeape back with a vicious slash.

Primeape flipped backwards to avoid the deadly talons and Charmeleon followed the attack up with a barrage of fist sized fire balls. Acting on instinct Primeape jumped straight up to avoid the stream of fire balls. Even as he rose, he realized his mistake.

_Bulbasaur! _Primeape shouted the warning, fearing the worst for his green comrade. A series of super effective attacks streamed under him, with Bulbasaur unable to dodge-

But then again he didn't need to. Charmander countered the fireballs with an intense Flamethrower attack, running forward as he did so. Charmeleon covered his eyes with one arm to shield them.

"Charmander, get back!" Ash ordered, his heart stopping as his Charmander attacked.

Primeape landed behind Charmander as Ash's fire type scratched at his evolved form's leg. Charmander twisted to avoid the retaliatory slash and then tripped, trying to duck a bout of flame. However, in tripping, he avoided the slash that the flames had been a set up for.

"Brock, can't you have Onix buck him off?" Ash shouted.

"After we deal with Team Aqua," Brock answered. "I'm sorry, but you're going to have to just hold on back there."

Charmander bit Charmeleon's leg, the same one he had scratched, and began to tear at it. Charmeleon howled in pain and raised his clawed limb high. They glinted in the light of Charmander's tail as Charmeleon prepared to deliver a fatal blow.

_I'm back! _Pidgeotto Quick Attacked Charmeleon, slamming into his back out of the dark night. He staggered forward, flesh tearing under Charmander's teeth. With a scream of pain mixed with rage, Charmeleon swiftly slashed at the fire type savaging his leg.

_No ya don't! _A fist hit Charmeleon's face like a runaway tauros. One sharp tooth came flying out, spinning away into the darkness. Charmeleon clutched at his face.

"Charmander, bite down and stand up!" Ash ordered, voice gone all tight and high as his heart leapt into his throat.

Ash's fire type pushed himself to his feet, wrenching his head to the side as he did so, yanking Charmeleon's leg out from under him. The larger fire type fell, hitting his head on Onix's back, and then was finally flung off the rock type.

Charmander crowed, flush with victory. He had managed to beat a strong pokémon! He felt so full of energy that he was surprised he wasn't glowing!

No, he was glowing! He was evolving!

His crow turned into a roar as the glow consumed him and then grew. Ash's eyes flickered blue for the tiniest moment as he watched Charmander turn into Charmeleon.

_I did it! _Charmeleon turned to face his comrades and trainers...

Only to be backhanded by Primeape.

_That darn Charmeleon's back! _Primeape shouted. _Everybody get him!_

_Wait, wait, _Charmeleon held his forelimbs in front of his face. _It's me, Charmeleon!_

_Oh. Since when are ya Charmeleon?_

_Since just_ _now_, _didn't you see me glowing?_

_So that's what dat was, _Primeape said, pounding the bottom of his fist into his palm.

_You went through that yourself, remember, _Charmeleon reminded the fighting type.

_I didn't know dat's what it looked like on da outside._

While they had been fighting Charmeleon in back, up front Ash, Misty, and Brock had been dealing with the attack by Team Aqua. Staryu and Starmie had been putting their bodies between the water type attacks and Onix's body. Geodude had been acting as living armor for Tommy. The other humans had been trying to locate the points of origin for the attacks so that Pikachu could launch a counter attack.

_Fry fishies! _Electricity crackled. A pokémon screamed. Pikachu laughed manically.

_Now if only there was a storm. I could bring down the lightning on them! _Pikachu was dancing on Ash's shoulder.

_Ash, when you get a chance remind him that he can't actually control lightning, _Staryu said, swooping in to shield Onix's side from a water attack.

_I hate to break it to you, but he can, _Pidgeotto informed the water type_, _coming in to perch on Ash's free shoulder. _Ash taught him to._

_You crazy- I need to make sure Misty learns about this! _Staryu said before spinning away to intercept another attack from Team Aqua.

"Charmand- sorry, Charmeleon, please don't do that to me again. My heart can't take it." Ash said.

"Aaron, if that charmeleon is gone, then could you please have Pidgeotto find their wingull?" Misty shouted. "You can bond with your pokémon when people aren't trying to kill us!"

"Right, sorry," Ash rubbed the back of his head. "Pidgeotto try and spot their wingull. Tell Pikachu where it is. Pikachu, don't hit Pidgeotto when you take a shot at them."

_Don't worry, _Pikachu reassured his trainer and comrade. _The 'Lightning Zapper' never misses!_

_..._

_Is that what you're calling yourself? _Pidgeotto couldn't help but ask.

"I thought you'd have made progress on the name", Ash whispered. He really shouldn't have done it so close to Brock and Misty, but he just couldn't resist in this case.

_Oh shut up you two. I haven't had time to work on the name. _Pikachu huffed and crossed his arms.

Pidgeotto took off again. Tense and tedious minutes passed as Ash and co. sought Team Aqua in the darkness, exchanging blasts of water and bolts of electricity. Onix twisted and turned, Brock trying to navigate an irregular course. World Burning Mother kept pace, crooning reassurances to Tommy.

And then brilliant orange flame bloomed within the darkness once more, a crimson and yellow flower of heat and light. Onix rose up to take the brunt of the flames on his underside, shielding his human passengers.

Water lanced out the night, swift and deadly. Instead of blasting Onix, it stabbed into the area where the blast of fire had come from. A Flame Burst soared into the night as retaliation, scattering fire over the location that the blast of water had originated.

Brock wasted no time.

"Onix, that way, full speed!" Brock ordered, pointing in the direction of Tommy's human parents. Everyone riding the stone serpent felt their bones vibrate as Onix made a sound of understanding and took off in the direction Brock had pointed.

Fire and water clashed in bursts of steam, the air was filled with firelight and the sound of hissing as Onix sped away. Team Aqua and Team Magma paid them no more attention. The only thing in their hearts was the annihilation of the other.

Brock wiped his brow and let out a breath, posture loosening as he relaxed.

"Aaron, get Charmander-"

"Charmeleon, actually," Ash said, correcting Brock.

"Get Charmeleon back in his pokéball, we're running dark again," Brock ordered.

Ash blinked in confusion and gave Brock a quizzical look.

"What does Charmeleon have to do with running in the dark?" The secretly pokéraised child asked.

"I said running dark," Brock informed him, giving Ash a look that clearly said 'I am unamused'. "That means we operate without lights."

"Oh," Ash said, understanding. "Right. First though-"

Ash beckoned Charmeleon over. The fire type swaggered over- or tried to swagger as well as one could while riding on the back of an Onix, while being tethered to a bulbasaur.

Ash grabbed his orange pokémon and hugged him tight.

_Seriously, _Ash whispered. _Don't do that to me._

_Don't worry Ash. Didn't you just see how strong I am?_

_I don't care how strong you are. I'd rather you be safe._

Ash hugged a confused Charmeleon tighter.

"Again, can you bond with your pokémon when we aren't in danger?" Misty asked him.

"Heh, sorry," Ash said sheepishly. Charmander turned into red light and then vanished into his portable home.

* * *

><p>"It is as you suggested," the purple haired man dressed in the uniform of Team Galactic intoned unemotionally to the man with green hair.<p>

"Yes. Let us all use the example of Team Aqua and Team Magma to remind us of the folly of emotions." The green haired man's speech was just as without feeling. "Having seen all their pokémon, do we believe we have the strength to take the child?"

"If we could stop them, it is probable that we could defeat them in their current state," the man with dark blue hair answered. "However I do not believe that we can stop them with our current strength."

Silence fell as the group tried to think of a plan. The black haired woman studied the scrying pool intently.

"I believe I have a solution," she said finally. "There has been enough blood of enough different kinds spilled here to fulfill the requirements for a spell that will fit our needs. However..."

"However what?" The man with purple hair asked.

"It will require a human sacrifice," the woman with black hair answered, her voice seeming as emotionless as ever. "I am unsure if that is the best use of our resources."

"If we can not stop them as we are, then any option that would allow us to complete our mission is a better use of our resources," the man with purple hair told her. "Remember that all is meaningless until the Mistake is corrected."

"Then who shall be the sacrifice," the woman asked.

"I will be," the man with purple hair told her. "My pokémon would be the least effective in this encounter. "

"Very well," the man with green hair said. "Do you require any help preparing the ritual?"

"I merely require my two pokémon," the black haired woman answered. White light blazed. When it faded a medicham and a clefairy stood at her side.

"Prepare the ritual to invoke Blood Wrath asura," the woman told her pokémon. Her pokémon nodded in acknowledgement, walking away from their trainer so that the three of them formed an equilateral triangle. The woman and her pokémon each drew threw runes on the ground, forming more equilateral triangles around them. Both pokémon closed their eyes and began to chant in the manner of their species.

"Will the sacrifice please step into the center," the black haired woman said while drawing a knife from its sheath.

"I am here," the purple haired man said as he complied. The action was almost as calm and emotionless as all of his previous actions, but a very astute observer could have made out the slight tremble in his legs.

The woman stepped forward and put her knife to his throat.

"Are you ready?" She asked him. The knife barely trembled.

"All is meaningless and condemned to suffer as long as the Mistake persists." The man's eyes were closed tightly and his hands were clenched into tight fists even as he spoke without emotion in his voice. "The only meaning one can have in this world is to correct the Mistake. I am ready."

A knife moved under the thinnest sliver of the moon. Silently, another life ended.

The woman stepped back and began to chant. The body fell to its knees and then tipped forward.

"ចង្អុលឲ្យដើរផ្លូវកណ្តាល មាគ៌ាត្រកាលអាចកំចាត់ ទុក្ខភ័យចង្រៃអោយខ្ចាយបាត់ អាចកាត់សង្សារទុក្ខបាន។" Red blood seeped into the earth.

Glowing red lines formed between the woman and her pokémon even as the three continued to chant, changing phrases and tempos several times as they did so. Blood began to seep _out _of the earth, gathering around the body. It came faster and faster, far more than one human body could have contained.

The man with green hair and the man with dark blue hair watched without emotion as a monster formed.

* * *

><p>"We're three quarters of the way there!" Brock exclaimed happily. "Just a bit more."<p>

"Are you sure we're going the right way?" Ash asked. "I mean you have enough trouble navigating during the day-"

"I think I can handle a short jaunt across the Safari Zone just fine, thank you very much," Brock snapped haughtily, looking down at Aaron.

"I just think that we should try and make sure that we're going the right way," Ash replied.

"If Jenny made it they might have some lights on," Misty butted in. "If we're even headed in the right general direction we should see them."

"I hope so," Ash said.

Their journey continued in silence for around another minute. Then they saw the _thing _appear before them.

Red light spilled into the night from the creature. Ash's first impression of the creature was that it was like a statue made of liquid. It was solid, defined, but it was translucent, and one could see the flowing and swaying inside of it. The thing looked like a cross between a heavyset man with the arms of a monkey, with fingers that were claws that could be called swords. Its belly was round and large, like it should belong to a fat and content man, but its face was hungry and cruel, twisted into an angry sneer. Black eyes ate away at the light given off by its body and exuded malice in return. It stood taller than a two-story house and cut the earth with its fingers as it walked.

"What in-" Brock began, but then the thing charged.

Onix bellowed a challenge and charged in turn. He lowered his head aiming his horn right for the red creature's chest. The two tore the earth apart beneath them as they rushed to clash together. The humans on his back clung tightly to the stone serpent.

Onix came in low and surged upward, catching the creature off guard and sending it flying. Its chest warped and rippled around the point of impact, like a plate of jello. When it landed on its back it shook the ground. The humans on Onix's back let out little gasps of pain as they were violently jarred by the clash.

"Staryu, Starmie, Ice Beam its hands and feet!" Misty ordered.

"Geodude, tackle its face to keep it down!" Brock joined Misty in ordering his pokémon to attack.

Two Ice Beams streaked out, blasting the downed creature's feet, encasing them in thick sheets of ice. At the same time Geodude quit shielding Tommy, and threw himself at the creature's face, keeping it down.

"Electivire Thundershock," a cold emotionless voice spoke up from somewhere in the darkness.

"Dodge!" Misty shouted. Her pokémon let up on their attacks and moved away from each other at the very moment they heard her command. Tendrils of electricity filled the space they had just occupied.

"Slugma, flamethrower," another voice ordered. Fire streamed out of the night, melting the ice. The creature surged back to its feet.

"Alright, everybody off," Brock said. "Aaron, have Bulbasaur get Tommy to Kangaskhan and then get ready to run when I say so."

"I'm not leaving you," Ash protested.

"Yes you are," Brock's tone brooked no argument. "Now get ready."

The humans and smaller pokémon slipped off of Onix's back. Bulbasaur handed Tommy to World Burning Mother who put him into her pouch.

"Go Magikarp. Go Squirtle. Go Charmeleon" Ash let out his two wounded pokémon. He was sure that they were going to need all the help they could get.

Primeape grabbed Magikarp by the tail even as he materialized, and Squirtle stood, a bit wobbly, but alert. Charmeleon stood tall and proud, tail flame blazing.

Onix bellowed and charged. The red creature stood its ground. They met in a clash that the others could feel through the ground. The mystic monster backhanded the stone serpent and Onix fell to the side, ruining and tearing the earth where he fell.

"Geodude, Rock Blast there!" Brock ordered pointing in the direction that the electivire's attack had come from. A volley of rocks shot into the darkness, eliciting cries of pain.

"Starmie, Bubblebeam!" Misty pointed to the area where the fire attack had come from. A stream of high velocity, high impact, bubbles sped into the darkness.

"Snover Razor Leaf."

_No you don't! _Hearing the enemy order Bulbasaur jumped in the direction the voice had come from and started firing off Razor Leaves. Slicing leaves slashed at each other in the air.

"Charmeleon help Bulbasaur with a Fireball!" Ash commanded. "Pikachu use Thundershock to show them to us!"

_Aye aye! _Three bolts of electricity speared upward from Pikachu and then arced downward, illuminating the attackers. The Razor Leaves being fired at Bulbasaur were consumed by Charmeleon's fire at the same time.

There was a green haired man standing by the slugma, with the snover standing several yards away. On the other side of Ash and his friends there was a man with dark blue hair standing by the electivire. They had been standing just outside of the red light generated by their monster. With their positions revealed, they stepped closer, into the red light.

"Snover, Cutting Cold Wind," the green haired man ordered. The snover took a deep breath and then blew forth a sparkling blue burst of air, with sharp shards of ice carried along by the wind. The attack sped towards Bulbasaur and Charmeleon.

Charmeleon unleashed a gout of flame, heat canceling out the chill, and melting the ice. But he was hit by several small blasts of water. His fire had canceled out part of the ice type attack, but it had turned the rest into a water type attack.

"Aaron, leave this to me," Misty told the human boy. "Staryu, Rapid Spin the snover. Starmie strafe and Rapid Water Gun the slugma."

"Razor Leaf and Evaporation Shield!" The green haired man ordered.

Another volley of leaves shot forth as Staryu spun towards the grass/ice type. Staryu jinked and dodged, making its way closer.

Slugma belched up a short but intense gout of fire. Starmie strafed around him, spinning and firing off a brief Water Gun when one of its tips was pointed at the fire type. Slugma turned to keep up with it, its flaming shield evaporating the water before it could come close.

"Geodude take out that electivire," Brock ordered while Misty dealt with the other member of Team Galactic.

_On it! _Geodude rushed towards the electric type, grass parting from the wind of his wake. He cocked one stony fist back to deliver the punch-

The dark blue haired man put his right hand's index and middle fingers on the side of temple, and his thumb on his cheekbone. He glowed purple for a moment and then thrust forth his left hand. Geodude was knocked to the side by a telekinetic blow.

"Electivire, kill the trainer," the man said as if he was ordering a soft drink. Brock threw himself to the side as a Thunder attack smashed down. He could feel all the hairs on his body stand up from the discharge.

Geodude was being held down by the telekinesis of the dark blue haired man. Zubat had been previously wounded. Onix was struggling with the strange creature. All that Brock had left was a Vulpix, a young pokémon that he hadn't had for very long.

"Go Vulpix!" White light blazed as Brock brought out his last pokémon. An adorable vulpix stood before him, head coming up to his shin.

_Yes Brock? _The small red pokémon looked up at her trainer expectantly.

"Agility and Fire Spin on that electivire," Brock told her. "Keep it occupied and don't get hit!"

He then ran off to the side as Electivire sought him out with a Thundershock. Vulpix blurred away and encased Electivire in a spiral of fire that turned into a hellish vortex of flame. Bolts of electricity blasted out of the fire, forcing Vulpix to keep moving.

_Shouldn't we be helping? _Pidgeotto asked, coming down to land near Ash.

_You're_ _right_, Ash replied to her. "Pikachu-"

_Don't, _Bulbasaur interrupted him. _We shouldn't go barging into someone else's fight. We don't want to hurt Brock or Misty's pokémon, we don't know their plans, and we don't know if there are anymore enemies out there. And that Charmeleon beat us up nicely. It simply ain't the time to be jumping in._

They all flinched as Onix roared in pain. He was suspended in the grip of the red creature, head held in one crimson hand, as the overlong claws of the other stabbed and slashed him again and again. The stone serpent tried to shield himself and strike back with his tail, but the creature was relentless, slapping away the tail again and again, and attacking the wounds that Team Aqua had inflicted earlier.

"Aaron, stay back and help Onix!" Brock shouted upon seeing his pokémon's situation.

"Pikachu, Thunder that thing!" A column of crackling, zig-zagging yellow power shot up and came down on the red thing. It coursed through the creature, yellow light mixing with the red. Small wisps of blood colored steam rose from the thing as Pikachu's electricity boiled it.

But the creature itself ignored the attack and its effects. It continued to tear at Onix as Pikachu electrocuted it.

"We're not done! Squirtle, Water Gun its elbow! Make it let go of Onix! Pikachu, quit Thunder and add a Thunderbolt to Squirtle's Water Gun! Pidgeotto and Charmeleon, Gust Bullet and Fireball on its near leg! Bulbasaur, Leech Seed its body and Razor Leaf its other leg! Primeape and Magikarp, if you see it stumble, try to knock it down!"

Water blasted away at the elbow holding Onix, slowly drilling into the creature, spreading ripples all over the arm. Electricity poured in again, making water and the red creature boil. Fire and wind mixed into a spiraling fire bullet, blasting bits of super-heated blood red substance off of the thing's leg. Slicing leaves cut through the other leg, entering with little resistance and exiting without doing much damage. Seeds sprouted and wrapped around the same leg, leafy tendrils greedily sucking away at it, stealing some of its mass.

Mass that was almost instantly replaced. The attacks of Ash's pokémon weren't even a nuisance to the thing. It was a thing born of mystic power and spilled blood, a potential created by battlefields and realized through magic, where humans and pokémon cursed their deaths, their killers, and even their allies in despair. It was collected psychic energy and magical mystery. Maybe if Onix had been fresh and unwounded he could've dispersed it, torn it apart with main strength, but that was not the case.

The attacks of Ash's pokémon weren't even at the level of a nuisance to the thing, but they could be called an annoyance. It turned to face Ash, still holding Onix. Ash and his pokémon were subjected to its cruel sneer, to the glowing black malice of its small eyes, before it flicked its arm and threw Onix at them.

_How 'bout I help ya dodge! _Primeape tackled Ash, using his strength to propel the human boy out of the way. Pidgeotto took wing and Pikachu used Agility. Squritle withdrew into his shell and blasted himself away with Water Gun. Bulbasaur lashed out with two tentacles, plunged them into the ground, and used that to yank himself away. At the same time, he wrapped two tentacles around Charmeleon and yanked him along for the ride.

They all barely avoided being crushed by Brock's pokémon. Pidgeotto was clipped by the edge of his body. Squritle's flight path was destabilized by the shockwave and he came down, plowing into the ground. Pikachu was sent flying by the shockwave, tumbling head over heels, and bouncing over the ground.

Bulbasaur and Charmeleon managed to escape completely, landing on their feet, and turning to face their enemy. Primeape landed on his feet, Magikarp still in hand. Ash landed on his butt, skidding backwards several feet, clutching his stomach. Primeape's method of getting him out of the danger zone hadn't been gentle at all.

"Onix! Aaron!" Brock cried out in dismay. The purple haired man took his distraction as a chance to psychically hurl Geodude at his own trainer. Brock folded around the point of impact and went flying backward.

Misty continued her battle. Unlike Brock the enemy hadn't been able to strike at her. She had been on the offensive the whole time, keeping the Team Galactic member on the back foot. She hadn't had to divide her attention, again unlike Brock. And she couldn't afford to now.

Even though they had probably just lost.

Brock managed to roll away from Geodude, before the dark blue haired man could renew his psychic hold on the rock type and use it to pin Brock as well. Onix was weakly stirring, struggling to pick himself up. The red creature was casually strolling over to finish off the large pokémon.

Bulbasaur cut at its eyes with Razor Leaf. Charmeleon blasted away at its center with an intense bar of fire that was almost solid. Primeape stood atop Onix with Magikarp, in a fighting stance, doing what little they could to guard the larger pokémon. Ash weakly gave orders as he recovered. The rest of his pokémon, crawled, stumbled, and dragged themselves back to him, slowly recovering as they went.

Vulpix was tiring faster than the electivire was going down. It was dispersing Vulpix's Fire Spins faster and faster each time, meaning that Vulpix was dealing less damage for the same amount of effort as time went on. Geodude was still pinned and the psychic showed no signs of tiring. Misty had her hands full.

Brock took out his mace. The situation was hopeless. His only option was to rush the psychic and hope to get in a lucky blow. But the odds were against that. The psychic would simply swat him away as soon as Brock got close, or simply hold him still so Electivire could kill him. Then the Team Galactic member would finish off Brock's other pokémon at his leisure.

"Run Kangaskhan!" Brock shouted. "Just get out of here! Take Aaron and run!"

"No!" Ash protested for the final time. "I'm not-"

_Shut up and listen to him, kid, _World Burning Mother said, running up and grabbing him by the back of his jacket. _Tell your pokémon to follow me._

"Carnivine, Lairon, move in," the dark blue haired man called out to the darkness. From the darkness behind World Burning Mother the large steel type and the grass type emerged. World Burning Mother dropped Ash and whirled around to face them. The red creature reached Onix. Primeape jumped at it, raising Magikarp over his head to deliver a mighty blow.

The giant casually brushed Primeape aside, sending him flying like a grey-brown ball. He hit the ground and tumbled to a stop. Magikarp flopped down beside him. The fighting type unsteadily managed to regain his feet, grabbing Magikarp, and stumbling forward once more.

World Burning Mother backed away from the advancing lairon and carnivine. The red giant reached down for Onix again. Brock grunted as the psychic blasted him with pure force. Misty was silent as she kept fighting.

It didn't matter anymore.

It was hopeless.

* * *

><p>Dawn didn't come. Golden light from the dawning sun didn't illuminate the battlefield. The sounds of morning pokémon, the chirping of the flying types didn't arrive. The warmth of morning didn't reach them.<p>

Instead it was the white light of a floodlight. Instead of chirping it was the whirring of a helicopter. The warmth of morning didn't reach them because it was still night. Dawn didn't come for them, but something else did.

The red giant turned away from Onix, still ignoring the attacks of Ash's pokémon, and faced the newcomers. Everyone paused as blinding white light fell over them.

"Brock, is that you?" A high-pitched, cultured, male tone sounded out from the chopper.

"Yes!" Brock shouted, hope renewing him. Tommy's parents had arrived.

"Is our son with you?" 'Momma' asked, voice artificially amplified.

"Yes," Brock shouted again. "He's with the kangashkan."

The helicopter moved to a spot over World Burning Mother. A line fell from the helicopter and Ranger Jenny slid down. White light blazed and Growlithe rejoined the fight.

"We've got reinforcements incoming," the blue haired woman called out. "The Safari Zone Rangers are coming. The League has been informed. You can't escape! Make it easy on yourselves and give up now!"

"There is no need," the green haired man responded in an emotionless tone. "You do not have the power to beat us while the spell lasts. Your presence makes no difference. We can escape your reinforcements. We avoided the Kanto League on the journey here and we can do so again as we leave with the child. You may surrender the child now and avert further bloodshed."

"You're not getting our son! Tommy, grab onto the rope quickly!" 'Poppa called out from the helicopter.

"What about Momma-Kangaskhan?" Tommy shouted back. "I'm not going anywhere without Momma-Kangaskhan!"

The red creature surged towards the helicopter, but it shot upward avoiding the thing's grasping claws.

"We can't land and take her aboard," 'Poppa' answered his long lost son. "They'll destroy the helicopter if we try!"

"I'm not going anywhere without Momma-Kangashkan!" Tommy clung stubbornly to his pokémon mother.

_Tommy take the rope! _World Burning Mother roared, pulling him out of her pouch, and raising him towards the helicopter.

"I'm not going without you!" Tommy was crying now.

There was no safe way to get both the blue haired boy and the large pokémon up to the helicopter, not with Team Galactic ready to interfere.

The battlefield was silent. Everyone's eyes were on the child now, illuminated by the bright white light from the helicopter. Team Galactic had to wait for the right moment to capture him without hurting him. Ash and friends needed to wait to see how they would need to protect him, even if they couldn't.

Several heartbeats came and went in silence, save for the quiet sobs of Tomas.

"Tommy, look up please," 'Momma' said, her voice gentle.

The blue hair boy sniffed, wiped away his tears, and looked up.

'Momma' and 'Poppa' looked back at him, illuminated by the internal lights of the helicopter. For the first time in years parents and child saw each other.

'Momma' and 'Poppa' smiled. There were also tears in their eyes.

"It's so good to see you again," 'Poppa' said. "You look just like pictures of my father when he was your age."

"You've grown up nicely," 'Momma' said. "I'm so happy."

"I wanted to meet you!" Tommy. "I wanted to ask you questions! I wanted to live with you and Momma-Kangaskhan!"

"I'm sorry my boy," 'Poppa', replied, smile turning sad. "I'm afraid we're going to have to let you down there. But we've let you down in so many other ways already, so I doubt my apology will mean much."

"You're the one who found him?" 'Momma' called out to World Burning Mother. "You're the one who took care of him for us?"

_I didn't do it for you, _World Burning Mother called back, not caring that the human woman couldn't understand her. _I did it for him._

"Thank you so very much," 'Momma' continued.

_As I said, I didn't do it for you. But you're welcome anyway._

"I'm sorry there's so little we can do to repay you," 'Momma' said to her, the human woman's smile also turning sad. "There's only one thing we can really do. But we're going to have to make a selfish request first. Please take good care of Tommy for us?"

"What?_"/What? _Humans and pokémon spoke together in confusion.

"And can you make sure to get out of the way," 'Momma said, before ducking back into the helicopter. 'Poppa' followed her. The helicopter rose, and sped off to the east.

_What's going- Oh! _World Burning Mother stuffed Tommy back into her pouch and ran away from the red creature. _Tommy tell them to get away from the red thing!_

"Get away from the red thing!" Tommy relayed.

The helicopter turned around.

Ash, his pokémon, and Onix all moved away from the red creature as fast as they could.

The members of Team Galactic began to issue orders, but then the helicopter's floodlights shined into their eyes. The aircraft lost altitude and picked up speed.

"What's going on?" Tommy wailed. He leaned around World Burning Mother to get a better view.

"Goodbye son!" 'Poppa's' voice boomed out of the helicopter.

"Grow up to be happy Tomas Marshall!" 'Momma' called out.

The red creature lunged after the retreating kangaskhan and child. But its cause was hopeless. The wills that drove it were nothing compared to the wills that opposed it. The despair that gave it life was no match for parent's hope.

The helicopter slammed into the creature like a hero's spear, traveling at hundreds of miles per hour. Spinning blades chopped away at the body, eating away at it like fire burning paper. The main body of the helicopter crumpled in the impact but managed to pierce the chest. Sparks flew within the aircraft as it tore itself to piece, some reaching freshly exposed fuel.

A tiny dawn came in the middle of the night, announcing itself with an eardrum-rattling boom. Wisps of red and drops of crimson flew everywhere , dispersing in the air as the giant was torn apart by the explosion. The shockwave bowled people and pokémon over alike, wind flattening the grass for a hundred yards in every direction.

The light brought both grief and hope for Jenny, Brock, Misty, and Ash.

"Now Geodude!"

"Starmie Water Lance! Staryu Rapid Spin!"

"Charmeleon Flamethrower the newcomers!"

"Growlithe Flamethrower those two!"

The psychic was distracted and Geodude was free. Moving as fast as he could, he nearly flew to the electivire. His right hook smashed its face with jaw shattering force, sending teeth flying. He sent the electric type flying into the surprised blue haired man, knocking him over.

_How'd you like it! _The rock type shouted after them.

Starmie speared the slugma with a thin high-pressured stream of water, making it scream in pain. Staryu spun into the snover, sending it flying.

Charmeleon and Growlithe simultaneously launched Flamethrowers, the super effective attacks roasting the carnivine and overheating the lairon.

"We're not done yet! Pikachu Thundershock them all!" Ash bellowed, getting to his feet.

_You're not wanted here! _Pikachu threw back his forelimbs and unleash a Thundershock attack that was closer to simultaneous Thunderbolts than any normal Thundershock. Yellow light overcame the night. Crackling, twisting, bright yellow power sought out each of Team Galactic's pokémon. Super effective, not very effective, it didn't matter; everyone hit by the attack screamed in pain.

"Time to withdraw," the green haired man said without emotion.

Red light reached for pokémon as Team Galactic recalled every member of their teams that couldn't be ridden. Lairon sprinted around Ash's group, strides tearing out clumps of earth and grass. The green haired man and the blue haired one ran away, their paths and the path of the Lairon converging. They each grabbed onto a ridge and jumped onto the steel type. It may not have been that fast for a pokémon, but it was faster than a human could run, especially over a long distance.

Ash and his friends watched them run away in silence.

* * *

><p>Dawn eventually reached them, golden light illuminating the wreckage of the helicopter. Tommy had cried the night away as he and his mother stood and watched the flames die down. Now they were silent.<p>

Brock, Misty, and Jenny were talking among themselves as to what they would tell the other rangers and the League. Jenny had reported the situation as criminal organization entering the park for unknown reasons, leaving those who were in on the secret to connect the dots.

Not that there were too many of those left. A slaughtered patrol had been discovered in the same sector of the park where the herd had originally been when the whole situation had begun. They had meant to make sure that the boy was safe. Their efforts and deaths had been in vain.

Ash and his pokémon sat back and watched the dawn.

_So did we win? _Charmeleon asked Ash_._

Ash looked over at the now silent Tommy.

_I don't think so_, he answered. _But I don't think we lost, either._

Everyone was quiet again.

_It was a good death, _Magikarp spoke up. _Sacrificing themselves to save their child. I'm envious, I wish I could have gone out like that._

Nobody had anything to say to that.

_I wonder what Tommy and his mother will do now? _Pikachu asked.

_Probably rejoin their herd, _Bulbasaur answered.

_Will they be safe? _Pidgeotto asked.

_I don't know, _Bulbasaur replied simply.

_I think we'll probably leave the Safari Zone, _everyone jumped when they heard World Burning Mother speak up behind them. The large pokémon hadn't made a sound when she approached. _I don't know how they found him, but if they know we're still here, they'll just try again. We can hide in the wild, become just another kangaskhan herd._

_Will the rest of the herd go along with that plan? _Bulbasauar asked the mother.

_Probably if it's for the sake of one of our children, _World Burning Mother answered, gazing into the dawn. _But we might decide that __it's better for Tommy and I to leave__. It'd attract less attention, but they might be attacked again anyway, and we don't like leaving each other. I just don't know how it's going to go._

_At least you and Tommy are still together, _Magikarp spoke up.

_And in the end that's enough,_ the kangaskhan looked down at her child sleeping in her pouch. She looked at Ash. _I've got you and your friends to thank for that._

Ash gave her a wane smile.

_When Tommy wakes up I'm going to have to talk to them, _World Burning Mother said with a sigh. _But while he's asleep I might catch a bit of shut eye myself._

Ash's pokémon murmured their agreements. One by one they drifted off to sleep under the dawning light.

Ash though, Ash stayed awake. All the death, all the devastation, and all the grief he had seen was weighing heavily on his mind. His mind kept reverting to the field of dead pokémon of all types, including a dead weedle and a dead pikachu.

It had all been for a boy like him. All because the secret of a boy like him had somehow gotten out.

He couldn't let his own secret get out.

Ash couldn't.

* * *

><p>Jessie, James, and Meowth sat back in their portable lawn chairs and watched the setting sun.<p>

"I can't believe that a bunch of good guys managed to infiltrate Team Rocket like that," remarked Jessie. "We would've had to kill them all if Team Magma hadn't beaten us to the punch."

"Too bad about what happened to them and the other foreign teams," James said, sipping a fruity drink with a little umbrella through a straw. "I would've liked to try and recruit that mystic with Team Galactic."

"And it's too bad we can't try and recruit that kangaskhan kid," Jessie added. "Those good guys made a first impression for Team Rocket too horrible to recover from."

"Plus, I think he's been through enough today," Meowth put in his two cents, sipping his own fruity drink with an umbrella in it.

"True enough," James agreed, "But I would've really like to recruit those three kids in black who showed up this afternoon and killed the remnants of Aqua, Magma, and Galactic."

"Not that it was hard to kill Magma and Aqua while they were fighting each other," Jessie spoke up. "Galactic on the other hand, that was a good fight to watch."

"I've never seen the emblems that the three were wearing before," James told the other two. "You know, that strange shield with a blue letter on it."

"And I'm not sure if I've ever seen the power that they used before," Jessie replied. "And we've seen psychics, mystics, and other weirdos before. After seeing how they could fight directly alongside their pokémon I wouldn't mind having their power myself."

"I wonder why they just up and left after they won," Meowth asked. "Didn't even go near the rangers or the twerp."

James shrugged.

"Who knows why they showed up in the first place," he said. "Maybe it was just practice."

"Or a field test," Jessie suggested.

"Maybe they just wanted to make sure the kid was safe," James continued.

"Or maybe they want him to come with them willingly and left because they thought that was impossible today," Jessie shrugged and sipped at her own fruity drink, with its own umbrella and bent straw. "Though we might want to lay off the twerp until spring."

"After what he's been through today, that's probably a good idea," James agreed.

"The top cat's all for it," Meowth chimed in. "Now we just have to figure out what we're doing instead."

"But first we should decide what we're watching next Movie Night," Jessie said.

And the three of them argued about movie choices while the sun set.

* * *

><p>AN: Getting this beta read was a nightmare. Selm told me that they couldn't do it anymore last chapter, leaving PublicMasicator, who's either trying to get in med-school or in med-school now. Needless to say, they were too busy right now. So I had to go get my From Dust beta reader, PhoniexLyric, to beta. And then they had to deal with finals, pushing the release date for this chapter back a second week. Though I can't really get mad at PhoniexLyric, since I press ganged them into doing double duty.<p>

Anyway, I need a new beta reader to replace Selm. PM me if you want post.

I'd like to point out that last chapter I didn't say that I preferred writing drama scenes to fights scenes. I said what I preferred to write was dramatic fight scenes. Less tournament bouts and more rooftop duels during a storm. I was probably just unclear in my last AN.

Anyway, nice to end this arc. Next up is an almost completely original arc, the dark arc I've been warning you about. I'd like to re-iterate, the rating change was for events that had already happened, not what's coming up.

Leave a review. Dissect my writing and point out it's many, many, many, many, many, many, many, numerous, many, many, many, many flaws.

REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW! :AN

AN:Ninja edit: Fixed some typos and added some small bits:AN


	33. Chapter 33

Disclaimer: I do not own pokemon

* * *

><p>Gray clouds obscured the noon day sun as far as the eye could see from the foot of the mountains. A chill wind swept through the flat lands that crept up to the stony heights, rippling the short grass and the occasional grey, gnarled, and twisted tree. Clouds churned and raced above, lighter banks being driven away by the wind and replaced with larger and darker masses bearing ominous promises of bad weather. The air had the empty kind of chill that did not cut to the bone; instead it subtly leached the warmth out of oneself until one suddenly realized that their fingers were going numb.<p>

Ash Ketchum had only recently noticed this fact and was rubbing his hands together to quickly generate some warmth. He stood within a small alcove, located within the beginning of the foothills marked the end of the grasslands and the start of the mountains. His team was there with him.

_Pidgeotto, quit trying to make them powerful, just focus on accuracy and keeping them small, _he instructed his flying type as she pelted a tree with blasts of air. _We're trying to make a precise long range attack here, not a powerful one._

_I know, _Pidgeotto replied in the tense tone of someone who had quietly endured being nagged. _I'm working on it. _She flapped her wings and fired off several more blasts. None of them were to Ash's satisfaction, but they were better than her earlier attempts, so Ash didn't comment.

The pokéraised child turned his attention to Charmeleon and Bulbasaur, where the latter was finishing up showing the former that type advantage and evolution did not guarantee victory. It had been a short and violent demonstration that had involved clever use of vines and had ended with Bulbasaur clamping the fire types' mouth shut with one vine and using the others to slam him into the ground repeatedly.

_Alright, I think that's enough, _Ash said to the two. _Bulbasaur you can let him go now. _

_How did you do that? _Charmeleon rubbed his snout as he spoke. _I'm supposed to be stronger now and I still have type advantage. _

_Strength doesn't mean anything, _Bulbasaur replied. _While it is true that you can be strong enough to make skill worthless, you can also be good enough to make strength useless. It doesn't matter how strong your fire attacks are if you can't use them. Your legs don't mean nothing when you aren't on the ground. Claws aren't worth a damn when someone else's got your wrist. But don't sweat it. I've fought a lot of charmanders, charmeleons, and even charizards in my time. Losing to me ain't anything to be ashamed off. _

_Charizards? How did you manage to take on charizards?_ Charmeleon was giving Bulbasaur a look of disbelief.

_I hit them with Poison Powder and Leech Seed and then hid in rocky terrain, _Bulbasaur answered, smirking. _And then when they went looking for me, I hit them with the biggest rock I could find. Would've never worked if I had been any bigger, wouldn't have fit through some of the small openings. 'Course the one time one of them cornered me in the middle of the desert they just about killed me in two seconds flat and I wouldn't have survived if some of my comrades hadn't come to the rescue. Fun times. _

_Why haven't you evolved yet? _Charmeleon asked wonderingly.

Bulbasaur snorted at the question.

_Do you know how much food there is in Orre? Here's a hint: it ain't enough for a single snorlax. Hell, even with photosynthesis I had a hard time keeping myself fed. If I was an ivysaur I would've starved to death. And then there were the small openings that I liked to use, couldn't use them if I was an ivysaur.  
><em>

_But didn't you evolve after you left Orre? _Charmeleon continued to question.

_Melaine barely kept everyone fed as it was, _Bulbasaur informed the fire type. _An ivysaur would've been too much to handle. _

_Then why not when you started traveling with Ash? _Charmeleon asked. Now Ash was curious. He walked a bit closer so he wouldn't miss what Bulbasaur had to say.

_Because now I want to wait until I get back home, _Bulbasaur answered simply.

_Where's that? _Charmeleon asked, head tilting quizzically.

_A place I didn't even realize was home until they asked me to leave for my own good, _Bulbasaur stared upward, seeing something other than the sky. _I'll return after they're finished expanding the place. I'll bloom for her then. _

_Ah, _Ash whispered. Returning the gift of Melaine's kindness, giving her another reminder that there was good in the world that Bulbasaur had fought for so long and that had scarred Melaine. An end to Bulbasaur's story that was a new beginning at the same time. Seed to flower to seed once more.

Not that it'd matter if Ash's secret got out. They'd all die. The flower would burn, the flame would be quenched, water drained, wings clipped, fist broken, fish eaten, lightning grounded, and the silk cut.

Ash shook his head, trying not to think about such things.

_That's really cool!_,Squirtle commented as he practiced dodging Primeape's blows. _I know what it's like to hold off on evolutions. _

_You too? _Charmeleon exclaimed.

_Yeah- Ow! _Squirtle's lapse in attention was rewarded with a glove like fist to the face. He jumped and then began to backpedal to keep away from Primeape's blows. _When I was leading the Squirtle Squad it was my duty to make sure nobody got left behind. I was only going to evolve after all my comrades had evolved. And to answer your next question, the reason I haven't done so after coming with Ash is because I'm still a member of the Squirtle Squad. I'm not going to evolve until we're ready to be the Wartortle Warriors! It's part of the reason I keep bugging Ash to get updates on how the Squirtle Squad is doing._

_So neither of you are planning on evolving anytime soon? _Charmeleon asked, looking from Squirtle to Bulbasaur.

_Nope, _Bulbasaur replied. _But that's probably a good thing. Do you know how much it would cost to feed a venusaur, blastoise, and charizard? More money than Ash can make off of advancements at this pace. And if you put off evolving you can learn some new techniques faster, seeing as you won't have to spend time adjusting to a new body. _

_You're making evolving sound like a bad thing, _Charmeleon's gazed narrowed a little.

_Nah, you do get a stronger body out of the deal, _Bulbasaur sat back on his haunches. _It's just that you need to keep in mind the drawbacks. And try not to judge a pokémon by how much it's evolved._

_Unless you know that the evolved form tend to be jerks. _Pikachu darted to a spot right next to Ash, trailing arcs of crackling electricity. _Then you can feel free to judge them. And not turn into them. On an unrelated matter I still can't maintain the electric shell while moving idiot. I can't believe I'm about to suggest this, but can't we just try to copy Surge's Storm Barrier?_

_No, you don't have the raw power for that, _Ash turned towards his first pokémon. _Your greatest defensive attributes are your speed and agility. We need a defensive move that takes advantage of those. _

_So then why are we working on an electric barrier? _Pikachu asked. _Why not attempt to create a move that decreases their accuracy or increases my speed? Why not Double Team? _

_Uh... _Ash was at a loss.

_Before you two get into your comedy act, _Bulbasaur butted in, _why don't you give us some instructions first. _

_Right, _Ash nodded. _Charmeleon go spar with Primeape without using special attacks. I want you to get used to that new body. Bulbasaur, I want you to work learning Synthesis. _

_And what will you have Squirtle work on? If Charmeleon is sparring with Primeape then he ain't got anything to do, _Bulbasaur reminded his trainer.

_Uh... right, right, right. Tell him to work on our version of Barrage Counter some more, _Ash instructed the bulb bearing saurian.

Bulbasaur shot Pikachu a look before walking away to relay Ash's instructions. Pikachu turned to Ash.

_Idiot, what's been up with you lately? _The electric type tugged on Ash's pant leg, trying to catch his trainer's eye.

_Nothing, _Ash said as he looked away.

_Are you sure? You don't seem on very on the ball today. _

_Everybody has off days. _Ash still didn't meet Pikachu's eyes, which Pikachu proceeded to roll.

_You've been having an on and off week then, _the yellow mouse stated. _You've been clumsier than usual, talking less, being more idiotic, and don't think I haven't noticed that you haven't been sleeping as well._

_It's probably just the change in weather, _Ash tried to brush off his pokémon's concerns.

_And what happened to telling Brock and Misty about the fact that you can understand us? _

Ash froze up for a moment as he was overwhelmed by a flash of sheer animal panic.

_W-w-what about that? I've changed my mind that's all. _Pikachu's glare clearly told Ash that the pokémon hadn't bought it.

_Spill now idiot or I'll trick Misty into stumbling over one of our conversations, _Pikachu threatened.

_No! _Ash's response was instant. _Then we'll never get any peace. They'll constantly hound us and then they'll make me act as the go between for me and their pokémon. I'll never get a free moment because they'll want to know each and every little thing their pokémon say._

Ash felt a mild sense of relief as he managed to think on his feet and belt out some plausible lies to appease Pikachu. He just needed his starter to buy it...

_It wouldn't be that bad idiot, _Pikachu quit glaring and rolled his eyes again.

_And Misty would know exactly what you say all the time. Just how cute do you think she'd find you then? _A sly grin crept onto Ash's face as he spoke.

Pikachu shot his trainer a dirty look. It looked like he'd bought Ash's lies.

_That's just underhanded and dirty. No wonder you've been off your game lately, you've been devoting most of your brain power to thinking that up, and an idiot like you wouldn't have much to spare for anything else. _Pikachu huffed, crossed his forelimbs, and looked away.

_One of these days you're going to acknowledge I'm not an idiot,_ Ash rolled his eyes as he spoke. _Keep working on moving with your barrier for now. I've got to go help Pidgeotto. And no, I'm not an idiot who's going to make it worse. _

_And you should realize I'm not an idiot either Ash,_ Pikachu muttered under his breath as he watched his trainer walk away. _This isn't over. _

* * *

><p>Not too far off a dark skinned boy in an olive and orange jacket lay back on a rock and watched the clouds overhead and the mountains beyond. Leaning on the side of the rock was a red haired girl in a pink sweatshirt reading a manual of some kind.<p>

"It feels nice to take a break." Brock voiced his thoughts aloud. "To just sit back and enjoy the view."

"Or just read for a bit," Misty replied. "Go through a few Training Manuals to look for some good moves to teach, read a chapter from one of Aaron's novels, go through a few more manuals, and then another chapter."

"But you're missing the mountains." Brock gestured towards the stony spires.

Misty gave the rocks a disinterested look.

"We'll be seeing them for long enough when we go through them," she said. "I'm sure I'll be sick of them by the end."

"You might want to put on some pants or you might actually end up sick," Brock commented.

Misty gave him a look that clearly said 'really'.

"You're complaining about this little chill?" Misty said. "I'm used to far colder temperatures. Hell, when taking care of the seels I had to spend hours in water that was near freezing."

"Yeah, but I'm guessing you had specially designed wet-wear for doing that," Brock shot back.

"True, but the chill sets in eventually no matter what," Misty said with a shrug. "Worst come to worst, I'll put on a wet-suit as well. Or just wear my armor. I think I should start keeping those compression units in a special pocket."

"That would've been a good thing to have started doing a while back," Brock sighed, sitting up a bit and looking back across the grasslands they had crossed. "But it really shouldn't have been."

Misty looked over at the older boy.

"We're just lucky like that I guess," she shrugged. "At least it's been interesting."

"That's one way of putting it," Brock admitted. "I'm just getting tired of this. I wanted to go on a simple journey with somebody who seemed like they'd be fun to hang out with, who was quickly joined by someone else who's fun to travel with, and just see the world beyond Pewter City. Pick up some tips on pokémon breeding. Meet pretty girls. I didn't want to have to deal with all these criminal gangs. I didn't want to deal with them trying to steal a kid."

"Well we helped him get away," said Misty. "And everywhere else we've been, we've done a lot of good. Even with all the hardship and the fact that Aaron can't seem to go a mile without finding trouble, I've been enjoying the journey."

"And I bet Mr. and Mrs. Marshall would've enjoyed the journey home with their son too," Brock was looking down, face locked in a glare meant for someone who wasn't there. "It was nice to see parents who care about their kids. Too bad they're dead."

"Yeah," Misty looked down, loosely holding onto her manual. She was silent for several moments.

"But we at least helped them see their kid one last time," she finally said. "We can't win everything, but we seem to have a good streak going. For the most part we've been coming out on top of these crazy situations, none of our pokémon have been seriously injured yet, and everyone seems to be holding up fine."

"I'm actually surprised at how well Aaron's holding up," Brock agreed. "Back in the Safari Zone, in the forest after we got away from Team Magma, was the first time I think I've seen him start to crack."

"Yeah," Misty looked back at her manual. "Hopefully we can get through this winter without too much difficulty. Give everyone a much needed rest. And then leisurely make our way to Indigo Plateau and watch the tournament."

"We can pick up some grooming tips to make our pokémon shine!" Brock added excitedly.

"Or we can get groomed by makeover specialists," Misty countered, also excited.

"Grooming is much more exciting though," Brock replied. "Watch, let's groom one of your pokémon right now. How about Psyduck."

"I'm not sure I want to do that," Misty answered. "I'm pretty sure that it'd be a waste of time."

"What, don't think you're up for it? Too challenging for you?" Brock smirked.

"Okay, bring it on," Misty's eyes narrowed as she glared at Brock. "It'll be easy."

* * *

><p><em>Pikachu's right you know. <em>Ash nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard Bulbasaur's voice behind him. _You really are an idiot. _

Ash turned and looked up the hill that Bulbasaur was standing on, just a little ways away from where the rest of his pokémon were training.

_What do you mean by that? _Ash asked the green pokémon.

_Most of us can tell something's up. Pikachu's just the first one to confront you about it. _Bulbasaur made his way down the hill to stand next to Ash. _He really cares a lot about you, even if he'll never admit it. _

_I know, _Ash said with a small smile. _He's already claimed me as his idiot. _

_And you are an idiot for trying to pretend that nothing's wrong, _Bulbasaur told the human boy. _It ain't the correct way to behave around your comrades, person or pokémon. Now what's eating you?_

_Nothing's eating me, _Ash protested.

_You know I will hurt you if you keep lying to me. _A vine crept out from under the grass type's bulb.

Ash made an expression that was halfway between a grimace and a reassuring smile.

_It's what happened back at the Safari Zone, _Ash answered, deciding on telling a half-truth. _I'm still shook up about it all. I mean we couldn't even save Tommy's parents. _

_So? _Bulbasaur shrugged. _We at least got the kid out of there. _

_So? Is that all you can say? _Ash exclaimed. _People killed people and pokémon back there without remorse and you're fine that we only saved one? __  
><em>

_I'm surprised we saved that many. _

Ash fell silent when he heard Bulbasaur's answer. Silence reigned as they struggled to comprehend one another from opposite points of view.

_How can you- That doesn't... I just don't get it, _the pokéraised child eventually said.

_The mountains and oceans of the world are nothing compared to the divides that separate one man from another, _Bulbasaur said, in the manner and tone of someone quoting someone else. _Or one person from one _pokémon_ in this case. __Heard that from some fool down in Arre, a small region near Orre. About the only sensible thing he ever said before getting himself killed by attacking a fortified position head on. The point is that it ain't easy to get it._

_But they're dead. All those kangaskhan and ranger and Tommy's parents, they're all dead. We only saved one, two if you count his mother. _

_And that one person has their whole life in front of them. A life of infinite potential, though he'll probably end up wasting it. _Bulbasaur shot back.

_That's true of all the people and pokémon who died there, _Ash angrily retorted. _They had lives of infinite potential too and now they're gone!_

Person and pokémon stared at each other for a moment.

_You know you're weird, _Ash finally said. _You're some sort of pessimistic optimist. Or a romantic cynic. _

_And you're a pessimistic romantic, _Bulbasaur replied. _You see what was lost, not what was gained. _

_Nothing was gained, _Ash clenched his right hand into a fist. _We only prevented one thing from being lost. It sucks._

Though Ash didn't realize it, he had helped express the key difference between him and Bulbasaur. Bulbasaur had seen all the lives, including Tomas Marshalls, as already lost to the various criminal organizations and thus any survivors were a victory. Ash had held the opposing view and saw any life lost as a defeat.

One had given up and was yet still trying anyway. And the other would not give up and would almost always be disappointed.

Ash sighed and put his face in his hands.

_Some days I don't like my species, _Ash continued. _They can just be awful. _

_Yeah, but pokémon are worse. _

_Wait, what? _

* * *

><p>"Alright, let's start with his hair", Brock said to Misty as he unpacked his grooming supplies.<p>

"What little there is," Misty remarked, looking at the three lone hairs that adorned the top of Psyduck's head.

"Let's start by brushing them and then getting them to lie flat," Brock continued, ignoring Misty's remark.

"Fine. It should only take a second." Misty picked up a hair brush.

* * *

><p><em>What do you mean pokémon are worse? <em>Ash asked, throwing up his hands in exasperated confusion. _Pokémon might not be perfect, but they don't wage wars that scar the world, they don't pollute the land, and they don't hunt children across different region and slaughter their friends and parents. Those are activities almost exclusively belong to people. _

_In fact, _Ash continued, springing to his feet and starting to pace back and forth as he ranted, _it's mainly people who murder for fun, who make other people murder for fun, who trick people into murdering, who steal, and torture. Pokémon are mostly nice. They keep to themselves and focus on surviving. They don't burn people for not mating with them, they don't randomly abandon the beings their supposed to care for, they don't try and kill beings by tricking them just to be cruel, they don't steal friends from each other, they don't mind control people and make them kill each other, and they don't kill beings unrelated to their goal. The world would probably be a nicer place without so many people!_

_And yet pokémon are still worse,_ Bulbasaur said calmly, lying down on the hillside while his trainer grew agitated.

_How can you say that! _Ash exclaimed, nearly pulling at his hair.

_Because almost every pokémon regularly kills other sentient beings without any guilt, _Bulbasaur answered.

Ash froze.

_You forget that pokémon eat other pokémon to survive_, Bulbasaur continued. _That includes most herbivores__, and as a grass type I'm damn well sure of that. Except for the odd small pokémon that can survive on actual plant life like pikachus, all pokémon will at some point probably eat another pokémon. Hell, the whole type system might be all 'bout that for all I know. Attack and defense against food and hunters._

_I mean take a look at Magikarp,_ Bulbasaur used a vine to gesture in the direction that the others were training. _How much family of his has been eaten? Hell Pidgeotto ate one of them and then acted like a human who had bumped into someone rather than someone who just killed a family member. And most wild _pokémon, like Magikarp, think that's normal, that it's right. It's accepted. But it ain't right. __

Bulbasaur sighed.

_That's why I left the wilds, _the green pokémon told his trainer. _That's why I went to Orre were there weren't no naturally occurring pokémon in the wild. Just animals and the sun. Hard to get by in a desert but at least I didn't have to kill to live. Well, nothing that could protest being killed. Course I started killing not that long after arriving, but that was when I got mixed up in human business, not for food. Wasn't all that bad. I helped right wrongs and even made friends with people and their pokémon. Some of them even survived._

* * *

><p>"Why won't it lie down!" Misty pulled at her own hair so hard that Brock was worried that she'd lose her hair while trying to tame Psyduck's.<p>

"Misty, just calm down," Brock said, slowly reaching for the brush.

"No! It's just three hairs. Three little hairs! It should be easy to get them to lie flat!" Misty glared at the offending strands. Psyduck gave her a blank look back.

"I know what'll keep them down. An Ice Beam!"

"Misty don't!"

* * *

><p><em>I'm guessin' that you've thought about this, at least a little, <em>Bulbasaur said a minute or so later, after watching Ash sit down and silently digest what Bulbasaur had said.

_Well, yeah, _Ash replied. _Obviously. I grew up with pokémon. Poison Lance only discouraged large predators from staying or regularly hunting in the Pallet area. _

_Surprised it isn't a bigger issue for you. _

_It's, well, as you said normal for pokémon, _Ash replied with a shrug. _I just sorta accepted it. _

_Bullshit, _Bulbasaur snorted. _Like _you _of all people would just accept something like that. _

_I was taught that it was just part of life for pokémon, _Ash said, not looking at Bulbasaur. _There wasn't any malice most of the time and it was to survive. _

_And you were okay with that? _

_No! Of course I wasn't! _Ash snapped, turning to his pokémon. _I didn't like that Bellsprout was eaten by Pidgey. Or that Pichu got killed by Ekans when Ekans was passing through. I hated it. I hated losing friends. I hated friends killing. I hated it when my friends ate my other friends. But there was nothing I could do! I couldn't get mad at my friends for trying to survive, I couldn't get Poison Lance to stop all the killing at home, and it's not like I could have defended them myself! _

Ash crossed his arms on top his knees and then rested his chin on them.

_I loved the fact that I grew up on berries, roots, fruit, and stolen human food, _the human boy continued, looking down. _It meant I didn't eat any pokémon. That was one of the first things I liked about human civilization, they tend not to eat pokémon. Their food almost entirely consists of non-sapient beings._

The boy's shoulders drooped.

_It sounded magical back then, human civilization. A place where beings didn't have to kill to get through their daily lives. _Ash's eyes shut beneath the shadow cast by the brim of his hat. _Where friends wouldn't have to eat friends. I mean I knew about war and murder, but those were supposed to be the exceptions. _

_And yet you keep running into them, _Bulbasaur got up and walked over to Ash's side. _Life ain't fair. Is that why you're always telling us not to kill? _

_Pretty much, _Ash answered, not looking up.

Bulbasaur sighed. Sometimes he forgot how young Ash really was. And other times he wondered if Ash himself forgot how young he was.

_Well, I don't agree with the whole not killing thing, but I've met other people like you before_, began Bulbasaur. _Not people who don't kill, though there were some, but people who wanted to help. __ Plenty of them. Most of them didn't last very long, but by the Tree, they tried. A lot of them were stupid and young and died foolishly. But they never gave up. They pressed on and on, faltering but never really falling, getting better and making the world better. _Bulbasaur smiled a soft rueful smile. _Sometimes I'm glad that the world is so awful just because I got to see them like that. You remind me of them a bit. That's part of the reason I agreed to come along._

_ You and people like you are why I don't hate your species, and why I spend most of my time around your kind. _The grass type put a vine on Ash's shoulder like a human would use a hand. _People like you encouraged me not to simply avoid the awfulness of the world, but rather to fight it in any way you can. I might think most of your species is shit, but I think that about the world in general, so it's nothing special. You, y__ou've just hit a run of bad luck; witnessing all this murder and the like. People are awful, but at least they realize it some of the time. They try and improve themselves. I don't really know if they're worse than _pokémon or not, but they do at least try.__

Ash made a sound that was somewhere between a hiccup and a sob.

_I don't know if we'll run into any more of that crap, but if we do, I don't mind following your lead, _Bulbasaur continued. _You ain't perfect, but you messing with these situations has always given a better end then they would've gotten if we left them alone. Human civilization might not be everything you imagined, but that's fine. Things can be worse than you imagined, but I'm sure there's other things that are better than you imagined. _

_So you're a cynical idealist?_ Ash asked, his voice heavy despite the joke, as he rubbed at the corner of his eye. _That's a contradiction you know. _

_I'm a plant that's an animal that's a __pokémon, ___Bulbasaur squeezed Ash's shoulder with the vine. _I'm allowed to be a contradiction. But I'm not really an idealist, more of a cynical optimist. I just think that it's possible for things to get better. Not likely, but possible. _

_So your glass is always half full? _

_Full of shit. _

Ash grinned.

_Feeling better now idiot? _Ash jumped a bit when he heard Pikachu speak up behind him.

_How long were you there? _The human asked the electric type.

_I arrived near the end of Bulbasaur's little speech there, _Pikachu answered, jumping onto Ash's head. _I figured I'd let him talk to you before I called you an idiot and shocked you into telling me what was wrong. _

_I called him an idiot for you, _Bulbasaur chipped in.

_Good. Now, idiot, are you feeling better? _Pikachu leaned over the edge of Ash's cap to look at his trainer.

_Yeah, _Ash answered half honest. The talk had helped. It might not have been about the issue currently plaguing his mind, but it had taken care of something that had been starting to bug him. He was honestly feeling better.

_Come on then, _Pikachu patted the side of Ash's head from his upside down position. _Let's go gather up the others and find Misty and Brock. _

_That sounds good, _Ash said, smiling.

The three of them set off in the direction that led to the rest of Ash's team.

_Anyway, thanks for taking care of my idiot for me Bulbasaur, _Pikachu said from on high.

_You're welcome, _Bulbasaur replied. _It was my pleasure. _

**_Your _**_idiot?_ Ash_'s _eye_s_ darted upward._ Since when do I belong to you?_

_Since we met at Professor Oak's and I single handedly saved you from a crazy fearow, _Pikachu replied matter-of-factly._ I'm sure you remember. It's where we met Misty.  
><em>

_You didn't save me single handededly!_ Ash glared upward. _Without me you wouldn't have learned to control the lightning that you used to defeat the fearow. _

_Potatoes, pototoes, _Pikachu waved a forepaw. _In the end my so called reward for that venture was this idiot. In retrospect that's even more depressing, if I had been alone I could have gotten Misty as my human instead. I coulda had an adorable human instead of an idiotic one. _

_Nobody would find you adorable if they could understand what you were actually saying, _Ash growled.

_Ah, humans, _Pikachu sighed, ignoring Ash. _So big and curious and helpless. _

_I know, _Bulbasaur joined in. _Stumbling about completely clueless. They are rather cute. That's why we tolerate them. _

_I hate you both, _Ash muttered, glare downward.

_And we all know that you can't say that in any manner even distantly resembling convincing, _Pikachu patted the top of Ash's head.

_Why did I want to be a __pokémon trainer again? ___Ash asked of the heavens.

__Because you're an idiot, __Pikachu answered from on high. _But you're our idiot, so you can quit worrying. We'll take care of you. _

* * *

><p>"How?" Misty gasped upon the ground. "I've been defeated by three little hairs?" She gazed up at the sky as the hairbrush slipped from her fingers, pokéballs scattered about her.<p>

"Impressive," Brock mused, stroking the sides of his chin. "I've never seen such little hair put up so much fight."

_So, _Psyduck began, standing next to his fallen opponent and looking down on her. _What was with that weird training? _

_Should I break it to him? _Staryu asked Starmie, standing behind Psyduck.

_Nah, it's way funnier this way, _replied Starmie. _I just hope we didn't hit anything with those ice beams. _

"There. Is. No. Justice. In. This. World." Misty panted.

"There are only three hairs," Brock intoned in the manner of someone stating cosmic wisdom.

_What? These? _Psyduck licked his hand and then smoothed down the three black strands. _What about them? _

Misty's rage filled shout rang through the grasslands.

"Uh, what's going on here?" Brock turned to look at Aaron who had just arrived.

"Just practicing grooming our pokémon," Brock answered nonchalantly.

Ash looked around and noticed the muddy gouges in the ground and the banks of ice dotting the landscape.

"Is it normally this messy?" The pokéraised child asked the dark skinned boy.

"No, this was just a special case," Brock replied. "Are you done cursing, Misty?" Brock asked, turning to the red head. "Can we move on?"

"Yeah, I'm done," Misty groaned, rolling over and pushing herself up. "Let's get going, maybe we get some distance before it starts to rain."

Brock snorted.

"You're worried about rain?" the boy from Pewter City asked the red head incredulously.

"Well it slows you two down and I want to be done with those mountains as soon as possible," Misty explained as she brushed herself off. "Also, I want to accomplish at least one thing today."

She glared at Psyduck's head.

_What? _Psyduck tilted his head and looked up at Misty.

Red light flashed, Psyduck disappeared, and Misty started stomping away, furiously fuming.

Brock and Ash looked at each other. Brock shrugged.

"Well, I don't think a little rain will slow us down that much," Brock said, before the two of them set off after Misty.

* * *

><p>Brock might have been right. A little rain didn't slow them down.<p>

Instead it was the extremely early snowfall that did the trick.

The rocky trails, splotches of plant life, and the occasional tree were all lost within the swirling white vortex. Thick, fat, flakes of snow rushed around, getting everything wet and slippery as small piles of white built up. A fierce wind pushed against the party, making walking a struggle within the rocky confines of the mountain path.

"Where the hell did this come from?" Brock nearly shouted to make himself heard over the winds, shielding his face with one of his arms as he pressed forward.

"I've got no clue," Ash shouted back, as he hiked onward, hunched over and holding Pikachu in his arms, close to his chest.

"It's these damn mountains," Misty called back from further up, edging up the natural trail to reduce wind resistance. "It must be some freaky local phenomenon."

"Phenom-what?" Ash hollered.

"Phenomenon," Brock looked back at the younger boy. "The word pretty much means 'something that happens'. Like early snow in certain areas."

"Ah, a weird thing," Ash said mostly to himself. "I've got plenty of experience with those." _  
><em>

_And yet you still have yet to find me a goat like flying type, _Pikachu muttered, snuggling deeper into Ash's warmth. _Is that not weird enough for you to stumble over? _

"We need to find some a cave or some trees," Brock yelled. "Someplace out of the wind, where we can start a fire."

"Or we could just go to the light!" Ash replied.

Both Brock and Misty turned their heads so sharply that Ash was worried that they would hurt their necks. Their expressions of panic softened when they saw him pointing. They looked in the direction his finger indicated and noticed a faint orange glow.

"Good catch!" Brock told the younger boy. "We're going to have to hurry before the storm gets any worse!"

It was a struggle as they fought the wind and the slippery ground. But they managed to push onward towards the orange glow, which became more and more distinct. Eventually they could make out the outlines of a cave and then they put forth a final burst of effort.

Ash and Brock were shivering as they stumbled into the cave, leaning against the rock walls and rubbing the sides of their arms. Misty darted ahead to confront the occupant of the cave, hoping that they wouldn't look familiar.

"Well, it's nice to have company." There was a woman and three pokémon sitting around the fire. A large arcanine kept a watchful eye on the flames, while a vileplum and a delcatty sat on either side of the human woman, all three leaning against the furry fire type.

The woman had brown hair, which Misty suspected was a dye job due to the red around her roots, and kept it in a long ponytail. Her eyes were jade with just a hint of blue and her face seemed vaguely familiar. She was wearing what seemed to be a custom form hugging tuxedo, an extremely dark blue version, with a red bow tie, and seemed pleased to see the newcomers. The arcanine turned away from the fire to regard the arrivals with a wary eye.

"Didn't think that anyone else would be out there," the woman continued, standing up and walking towards Misty, Brock, and Ash. "I'm 'Elle." She offered her hand to Misty. "That there is Growlie, Vileplume, and Delcatty. Come in, the fire's warm."

"Uh, hi," Misty shook the woman's hand. "I'm Misty. That's Brock, this is Aaron, and that's Pikachu, Aaron's pokémon."

"So what are you four doing up in these parts?" 'Elle asked the group, looking over Brock and Aaron.

"Just passing through," Brock answered, standing up straight. He'd like to try and charm the woman, but he was too cold. Maybe after he recovered...

"Ah, so you didn't know about the local weather," 'Elle walked back over to the arcanine, Growlie, sat down, and leaned against him again. "There are always two early snow storms in these parts. First one usually lasts a day and the second three times that."

"Oh great," Brock groaned, moving closer to the fire. "How long is the delay between storms?"

"Anywhere from a couple hours to two days," 'Elle answered. "Sit down, Growlie won't bite."

Ash and his friends sat down around the fire, letting the dancing orange flames drive the chill from their bones.

"Great, so we're either stuck in this cave for almost a week, stuck in a blizzard in the mountains, or stuck in the foothills," Brock groused. "We might need to take Onix back down after this clears. We can find a better camping spot in the woods in the foothills. Wait."

The dark skinned boy looked at the woman with the hair dyed brown.

"'Elle, you seem familiar with these parts. Do you know of any better shelter around here?" Brock asked the woman.

"Yeah, it's the place I was heading to," 'Elle stretched backward into the arcanine, settling into the fire type's fur. "My family's got a mansion up here. It's not too far from here, only a couple of hours. If you want, you can join me and come with."

"Okay," Ash said before Misty or Brock had time to think the offer over. The older humans were thinking about potential dangers and obligations that taking up the offer from a stranger might bring. Ash saw the chance to meet more people and get to know them, even as he hid himself from them.

"Are you sure we wouldn't be intruding?" Misty asked after shooting a dark look at Aaron.

"Why are you headed up there right now?" Brock asked right after Misty.

"There's a family event going on," 'Elle stared at the fire. "We're all heading up there right now. And don't worry about intruding. If they turned away travelers during a snow storm, then they wouldn't be 'keeping up appearances'. Well, at least if they did it in front of witnesses, but the staff and I should count as witnesses. They'll probably just put you guys up in a room in the east wing until the storm passes." Her pleased demeanor seemed to fade as she talked about her family.

"That sounds a bit like we'd be intruding-" Brock began, but the older woman cut him off.

"Nah, it'd give me someone to talk to to between arguments," 'Elle told him, waving away his concerns. "And my conscious wouldn't stand for leaving you guys out in the snow."

"Alright, we'll come with," Brock gave in, holding his hands up to the fire. "What's the event?"

'Elle sighed and looked into the fire.

"A funeral."

* * *

><p>AN: You know this was supposed to have come out much sooner. I was going to blitz this arc and get the chapters out on a somewhat reasonable time frame. But of course I couldn't actually do that. Life finds a way to get in the way.<p>

...

Screw that, I'll manage somehow.

Part of the delay was an issue with my new beta, who seemed to drop off the face of the earth after some early back and forth. Someone else volunteered to look over this chapter and I decided to take their offer. So thanks to Magnive and necro-wulf for betaing.

Another part of the delay was the lack of inspiration I had for the From Dust chapter I was working on. I had plenty for the next planned chapter of From Dust and for this arc. But none for that chapter. Since that last one took so long, I'm putting From Dust on hold until this arc's done. Hopefully that should decrease the time between Symbiosis updates so that this arc doesn't take as long as the last.

(Oh and to that one annoyed reader, I only edited chapter four, not chapter six. Chapter six was still the 'original manuscript' as you put it.)

Remember to review. Feedback helps to improve writing.

EDIT: In regard to the evolutions, yes some of the team will evolve, just not any time soon.


	34. Chapter 34

Disclaimer: I do not own pokemon

AN: Please don't ask questions in an anonymous review. I've got no way to answer and it really bugs me when that happens. Also, just think how much longer this chapter would've taken if I hadn't put From Dust on the backburner :AN

* * *

><p>There are many ways that one could say it started. It may have started when Ash and his friends met an odd girl by the base of the mountains. That was certainly where it started for them. However that was not the beginning of the situation. Events had been set in motion long before then.<p>

One might also say that it started when the nations of the world had fought and destroyed themselves, leaving the people of the planet shattered and isolated. That is another beginning where the seeds were planted. Still, it could be argued that although it set the stage, that particular beginning was too far in the past.

One might say that it started when humans seeking to unite the nation under their brutal human rule clashed with those were more willing to tolerate and work together rather than rule. That was where many of the players were shaped and it occurred in the relatively recent past. But, even then, there were still many more likely courses life could have taken to much different results.

No, the best place to say it began was one month before Ash and his friends met a stranger calling herself Elle.

A bright sun shone during that early autumn day in the mountain forests. Peaks towered in the distance, glimpsed through a sea of yellow, orange, red, and brown leaves. Two children wandered the forest with that innocent sense of ownership that all children have for the wilderness near their home. An occasional small breeze ruffled the leaves about their heads while small flying types chirped all around them.

Their journey through the fall colors took them to a clearing made notable only by the boulder in the center.

One of the children quickly scrambled to the top. She gripped the flat of the baseball cap on her head and turned it around so that her jade eyes were shielded from the sun. Her dark red hair gently swayed in a ponytail with a small sunflower at it's base, as she goggled the scenery from her lofty perch.

At the bottom of the rock, a blonde haired boy with blue eyes nervously looked for a way to follow his cousin and scale the boulder.

The red-haired girl glanced back at her cousin and adjusted on of the straps on her denim overalls. "Hurry up, Thomas!" she called.

"I'm trying Jena," Thomas called back, slowly putting his hands on the stone. Jena sighed. She flopped down and extended a hand to the blonde haired boy. Without hesitation, Thomas took her hand and she hauled him up.

Thomas slowly got to his feet and then joined Jena gazing from their perch. The surrounding mountains stood gray and blue and white in the late morning sun, covered with crags and ridges and towering peaks. Leafy trees, just reaching the peak of their seasonal coloration, stood out against the backdrop of the mountains. And between the trees and the mountains, the land dipped, leaving naught but the glimpses of blue sky and rocky grasslands

Before Thomas could really take in the view, however, there was a tugging on his hand that quickly turned into a swift arm-yanking.

"Come on," Jena called put to him. She let go of his arm and then jumped off the boulder they stood on, landing and rolling to a stop in the grass below. Thomas descended in a more careful manner as Jenny picked herself up, looked back and then grew bored enough to start tapping her foot on the ground.

"We've got to hurry if we wanna see it all!" the girl said plaintively. "They'll notice that we're gone soon."

"I don't think we can get to it all," Thomas began hesitantly, but was interrupted.

"We can do it if we're fast enough," Jena insisted. "Now let's go!"

Jenny dragged Thomas back into the trees, continuously insisting that he go faster to Thomas's excuses and protests. They eventually compromised on a speed that was faster than Thomas liked, but too slow for Jenna.

Minutes or hours or seconds passed; time progressed weirdly when one mixed fear and fun. Woods were explored, rocks upturned, flying-type pokemon startled, and ponds accidentally discovered. It was the last event that made the two consider going home before they got cold.

But, as they trekked home, they came upon one last thing to examine.

"What is it?" Thomas asked, looking generally uncomfortable and standing a reasonably far distance from the thing.

"I dunno. Let's find out!" Jena grabbed a stick from off the ground and approached the thing.

It was purple. It was runny. It smelled funny. It flowed funny. It was a big mound of purple goo in the middle of the forest without any indication of where it had come from or what it was.

Or why it expanded and contracted regularly.

Or why it seemed like it was snoring.

To children these were all questions that could be answered by pocking the thing with a stick.

"Hmm," Jena observed the slime jerk away from her prodding. "That's weird."

Suddenly two purple pillars of slime rose from the collection and the whole mass began to shift. Both Jena and Thomas fell on their rears as they flinched backwards in surprise at the sudden animation of the strange substance.

Two black-centered white spots appeared within the things. Eyes, Thomas realized. Somehow, the purple slime had eyes and arms. Somehow, the noxious slime was alive.

Fear struck Thomas dumb and left him paralyzed. Shock held Jena in place before the foul thing.

_Is it time to get up already? _The creature made some sort of sound that neither Jena nor Thomas could make heads or tails of. The creature turned, eyes coming to rest on Jenny and Thomas.

_Humans! This is the first time I've met humans. I"m so excited. _The pile of slime began to move towards Jenny, who was still too shocked to react. _You guys look weird. Like a naked mankeys. Let's see, what are you supposed to do to say hello to humans... oh, right!_

_ Give them a hug! _

Without warning the things arms, slimy and runny and sticky and just all _wrong _and somehow too strong to fight, wrapped around Jena and she was yanked into the mass. Order and light left her world as she taken into warm, gooey darkness. Instincts prompted her to try and gasp or scream.

Instincts betrayed her as soon as she opened her mouth. There was no air, only foul tasting muck. Panic set in, primal and unwavering. No thoughts only the blind panic of the trapped. No ideas, only the fear that accompanies asphyxiation. She could not even flail about, not within the muck. The only movement she could manage was the twitching of her feet.

Thomas watched in mute horror as his friend was taken into the monster until only her twitching sneakers remained. His pants grew damp and warm as the twitching began to slow.

And then the twitching stopped.

The thing must have noticed this as it then pulled Jena out of itself.

_Oh, did you fall asleep? _It turned to look at Thomas, curled up in a fetal position taking irregular breathes. _I know what's going on, it's your nap times, isn't it? _It gently put down Jena's body. _I'll just leave you two here. I should go eat something.  
><em>

The thing began to ooze away, leaving a lump of meat and a broken boy behind.

* * *

><p>While perhaps not completely clear as of yet, the chain of events set off by what had happened in the mountain forests eventually led to Ash, Brock, Misty and Elle struggling through the leading edge of a blizzard. Elle led the way, hands buried in Growlie's fur as she had him melt the snow ahead of the group to make sure they were still on the path. She kept rubbing the shivering fire type to keep the orange pokemon from freezing and to warm up her own chilled hands.<p>

Behind her came Brock, Misty and Ash. They each had an arm up to shield their face as they pressed onward through the wind and the stinging of the sudden snow into the darkness of the mountain storm. One of the sleeves of Ash's jacket flapped wildly in the wind; the arm that usually occupied it was curled under the fabric, clutching a cold Pikachu to his chest.

"How much further?" Brock shouted, surging closer to their guide to hear and be heard above the winds.

"Not too much further," Elle called back, barely audible.

"That's what you said twenty minutes ago," Brock yelled in response. "We have to find shelter and soon!"

"Well unless we stumble over another cave- Wait! There!" The woman made some sort of gesture that Brock struggled to make out through the white veil of the winter world. He peered through the flakes and saw that she was pointing at a group of lights.

"They always turn on all the outside lights during these storms," Elle shouted. "Just for situations like this one."

"G-g-good," Ash's teeth were chattering. "L-let's hurry then!"

_I second the idiot's motion! _Pikachu piped up from under Aaron's jacket.

It was still another five bone chilling minutes before they made it to the group of lights in the white world.

There was an oak door. A large oak door. A large polished oak door. This struck Ash as strange. Why did they need a door so large? Did they usually take big things in through their front door?

From what little the group could see of the front and center of the building, it seemed to be made out of a dark brown stone, smooth, flat, and polished around doors and windows, but coarser and more irregular when it came to the walls. Most of it was hidden by the storm, a dark shape behind the flakes with the occasional pane of light from a window, or glowing globe of an outdoor light.

Elle pounded on the door.

"I know someone's there! The old woman always has someone watching and you can hurry up and open the door for us!" Her jade eyes glared at the peephole.

There was the sound of chains rattling, bolts slamming back, locks being undone, and a bar being raised. More light spilled out into the mountains as the door opened.

An elderly woman in a rather conservative black western dress stood in the door way, a youthful-looking butler with jet black hair standing just behind and to her right. The woman had gray hair with the faintest red tint that told stories of other days, when her hair must have been a vibrant dark crimson. Her eyes, jade like Elle's, were unclouded by age and locked in a hard gaze directed at the newcomers. She held herself stiffly and proudly with a raised chin and straight back. To the newcomers, everything about her screamed 'formal'.

"Oh, I see Elle has seen fit to grace us with her presence," a haughty voice from somewhere behind the old woman spoke up. Another woman stepped up to a spot behind the old woman and to her left. The newcomer was a graying blond in a rather less conservative black dress than the old woman's. Her blue eyes flashed as she looked down at the group with a sort of joyous contempt.

"She's finally here?" Yet another voice, male this time, gruff and deep joined in. "Tired of humping pokémon and finally decided to rejoin the family?" A large man with black hair, black eyes, and wearing a black suit came up behind the old woman, casting a shadow over Ash, Brock, Misty, and Elle.

"Looks like she decided to start to slut around with humans instead," the graying blond sneered.

"Oh, like you're one to talk Chiyo," Elle snapped at the graying blond. She turned to the man. "I see you made it to the front door without beating a servant or hitting your primitive skull on a door frame. You feeling okay Maki? Should I go fetch a kid for you to beat?"

"Enough." The old woman spoke up before anyone could say anything else. "Chiyo, Maki, go inside, your services are not required."

Chiyo gave the old woman a dirty look and then went back inside. Maki shot the old woman a glare and didn't move. The old woman simply looked back at him, her gaze darkening just a little. Maki's glare vanished and he beat a hasty retreat.

"Elle, do you have an explanation for your tardiness?" Old jade eyes once more looked into Elle's eyes even as the stormy veil of winter began to make its way into the mansion.

"Yes grandmother," Elle said in a carefully neutral voice. "I misjudged the timing of the storms."

"You have been taught better than that," the old woman snapped. "I wouldn't expect that sort of mistake from Thomas, let alone you, you stupid girl!"

"Yes grandmother," Elle's voice was not quite as neutral as before, carrying hints of tenseness that could also be found in the muscles of her hand as it twitched and incrementally became a fist.

"And what of your guests," the old woman's eyes swept over Ash, Brock, and Misty.

"I met them in the mountains while they were taking shelter from the first storm," Elle answered. "I extended them an offer of hospitality in the face of the inclement weather."

"As is simply proper," the old woman sniffed. "What are their names?"

"This is Brock." Elle gestured towards the former gym leader, who bowed to the old woman. "Misty." Misty gave a nervous laugh and stepped forward, offering a hand to shake.

"A former gym leader and the relative of gym leaders. What?" The old woman asked in response to the surprised look on Elle's face. "Did you assume that I hid away up here unaware of the outside world. Of course I keep my eye on things, including the League you naive girl."

She turned to Misty.

"Ordinarily, given the formality of the event that you have arrived at, I would expect a curtsy. But given your circumstances I suppose that this will have to suffice." The old lady took Misty's hand and shook it.

"And who is this last guest?" The old eyes turned to Ash.

"I'm Aaron Autumns ma'am," Ash said bright, taking moving Pikachu into the embrace of his left arm so he could offer his right hand for the woman to shake. The old woman's eyes narrowed when she saw the yellow pokémon.

"Does your pokémon not have a pokéball?" She asked the young trainer.

"He does, but he really doesn't like it in there," Ash replied.

"So you refuse to put him in there, even in this weather? Where it would be best for all involved for him to be in his pokéball so that you could travel unencumbered? Merely to avoid some temporary discomfort? You spoil him Aaron Autumns and do you both a disservice. If you do not take a stern hand to his training the consequences might be most unfortunate."

_Where do you get off at lady? _Pikachu shot a dark look at the old woman. _And there's no way I'm going in my pokéball and leaving him alone. _ _You're crazier than he is if you think I'd do that. _

She took Aaron's hand and shook it.

"I am Chiyoko Umagoya Mr. Aaron Autumns. I hope that your pokémon won't be a problem during your stay here."

"No ma'am," Ash replied carefully.

"Good. You may come in." The old woman beckoned them inside.

The group stepped into a well lit hall with marble walls, a high ceiling, and a chandelier. Winter's chill lingered in the entryway, a result of the doors having been opened for so long, but even as they closed, one could feel the warmth returning. Ash felt the odd numbness that came with cold limbs being warmed as he kicked the snow off of his shoes and onto the rug.

"Put them up in the west wing, next to Elle's room," Chiyoko instructed the butler. She turned back to the group. "John here will show you to your rooms. The wake begins in an hour. Dinner will be served in two. If you have any formal clothes packed I suggest you put them on. I also suggest that you be discreet about your occupations and relatives."

"Wait, you're letting them come to dinner?" Elle asked, once more surprised.

"I've permitted Chiyo to bring a number of 'dates' to family events, along with Satio's 'comrades', and Ayoko's friends, so I see no reason to forbid others from bringing guests. I do, however, expect you to be a good host to them throughout the event." Her eyes twinkled with amusement. "Oh my, I must be going soft. But that's only to be expected of an 'old woman'."

And with that Elle's grandmother walked away.

"Crap, that's her game," Elle grimaced after the older woman left.

"Huh?" Brock asked.

"Nothing," Elle replied, waving away the question with a little laugh, while inwardly seething about how her grandmother managed to manoeuvre her into a position where she couldn't skip dinner.

Ash spoke up.

"Why did she say we should be dis-secret-"

"Discreet," Brock corrected.

"Discreet," Aaron repeated. "Why did she say we should be discreet about our occupations and relatives? And what does discreet mean anyway?"

"Discreet basically means 'don't advertise'," Brock informed the younger boy.

Elle grimaced.

"The short answer is that my family's not big on pokémon or the League, as you might have noticed." Elle said to the boy. "They used to be a major player in the local area and nowadays they don't have as much power. That's pretty much it."

* * *

><p>The explanation Elle gave the group was functional in a way. It was certainly enough for Ash and company.<p>

But there was so much more to it.

War. Harb. Krieg. Sensou. Bellum.

There are many ways to name the thing that set the stage of the world. Many words to describe the same destruction, the same fires, the same mass of death, and the shared end of an era. The same thing that had followed human civilization since its clock began to tick.

Imagine the rumble of hordes of vehicles crossing the world. Imagine the constant chattering and barking of gun. The whistle of shells and rockets. The deep booming voices of the explosions. The rhythmic thumping of giant multi-legged war machines marching across the land. The death screams of millions of men, women, and pokémon.

Picture a hundred skies on fire. Picture the deadly orange blooms that were explosions. The smoke trials of rockets and aircraft. The high speeding specks that were flying types. The yellow flashes of gunfire in the night. Picture exchanges of fire, of electricity, of psychic energy, of ethereal power, and hundreds of other types of attacks. Picture the brilliant white light of raging energy wiping away the landscape.

Look at the edges of the sky and the black depths of space. See the streaks of light that were the nuclear exchanges as missiles raced through the atmosphere. The crackling sparks and arcing of countermeasures. See high altitude creatures explode in midair as their fluids boiled from being caught in the concentrated energy of the sensors and electronic warfare. The glint of light off of metal as man and machine capture missiles, aircraft twisting through the sky to devour and grab missiles. The light that accompanies teleportation surrounding warheads. The mini-novas in the depths of space as nuclear device detonated.

Finally feel the burn from the explosion of a neighbor's house. The bite of the bullet. The sudden terror of the warning sirens. The all consuming fear that comes with watching a city's energy absorbing defenses and shields struggle against a nuclear explosion. The loud silence that comes with hiding from an invading army.

Those situations, those pictures, those sights, sounds and feelings, only describe the smallest portion of the Great War.

Nations scattered their soldiers to every corner of the globe. Impossible amounts of machinery, manpower, and money were sent to distant lands to fight and die. There were few backwater lands that escaped being drawn into the malestorm of destruction and even they were eventually swamped with refugees.

It was an unbelievable war. Foot soldiers fought alongside pokémon, tanks, and giant walking war machines. Legions of flying types, swarms of drones, and flocks of jets dueled in the skies. Submarines and sea monster were embroiled in fantastic struggles beneath the waves of the oceans. Advanced technologies struggled against conventional and unconventional super-weapons. Barely understood discoveries were stuffed into black box technologies and thrown into the teeth of the enemy.

It started out as a 'civilized' war, if there could be such a thing. Professionals fighting professionals, taking care to avoid civilian collateral damage. It also started out small. But some saw opportunities, some made opportunities, some were called in, and some were dragged in. And then it all dragged on. And on. And on.

The war escalated, and the world began to burn. Super-weapons were neutralized leaving ordinary armies to grind against each other. Frustrated by the stalemates, commanders escalated cloak and dagger operations and information warfare. Nations cut the global computer network to pieces and isolated themselves within their sections even as they dealt with enemy spies and saboteurs. Lines of communication were cut, supplies lines disrupted, and high ranking members of armies and governments were assassinated.

Riots and revolutions erupted. The world fell into chaos. Armies lost chains of commands and nations, scattering into mercenary bands. Few nations avoided shattering into pieces.

Thus the war began to fade, dying with a whimper rather than a bang.

The closest thing to an official end the war had was a series of truces from the few remaining nations before they turned their attention to dealing the civilian unrest and reconstruction.

It had been a remarkable event. The war had been a mass migration of significant portions of different populations around the world, mixing cultures and ethnicities in ways never seen before. It had marked the largest industrial output the world had seen and the fastest scientific advancements.

It also marked the height of human strength.

For the first time in history an ordinary soldier was a threat to almost any pokémon on the battlefield. Automatic weapons and special ammunition made it possible for a rank and file soldier to kill dragon types and giant rock types. Pokémon with less natural protection died even quicker, reducing their role on the battlefield. They still had their uses, but they were no longer juggernauts. A dragonite may have been able to obliterate a giant war machine with one hyper beam, but it'd have to watch out for all sorts ambushes and avoid AA fire to get there. Humanity was the deadliest it had ever been.

There were plenty who remembered that. And some, like Team Rocket, wanted to return to that peak.

* * *

><p>It was from the ashes of the Great War that the current world began to take shape. It was different everywhere of course. But in Kanto, it went something like this.<p>

The picture changed. Tamed lands grow wild and overgrown. Roads degraded. People huddled in their villages, towns, and cities. Scattered soldiers traded their uniforms for those of bandits or mercenaries. The ancient truce between man and nature failed and pokémon emerge from the wilds to force their ways back into areas that humans had forced them out of.

There was more blood and fire as new power structures rose.

There was power still in humanity. Some mercenaries turned into settlers instead of bandits, carving out their own place in the burn world. In some places local feudal titles, powerless, but kept out of respect for tradition and culture, took charge once more. Large, local businesses/corporations had the resources and some remaining technology to take land for themselves. Large towns turned themselves into small armies or were conquered by other powers. In some cases, in smaller towns and rural areas, families with some combinations of wealth and skill were able to rise to power and form a pseudo aristocracy built on human power. The Umagoya's were one such family.

But the value of raw power never changed. And there was strength in more than humanity standing alone.

Strong trainers subjugated lands to support them and their pokémon as they trained and did battle with other trainers. They cared little for the actual ruling of the lands, but they protected them viciously. Some only took the lands that they did as a way of issuing a challenge to other strong trainers.

Some towns and villages allied themselves with nature, with their citizens focusing on becoming pokémon trainers, or forming relationships with groups of wild pokémon for mutual benefit. Most were too small of be of great value and too troublesome to bother with. It could be said that these villages and peoples, along with the groups of pokémon, who were twined together in mutual symbiosis, were the most fortunate.

Cities became states unto themselves as they once had, at the beginning of civilization, struggling to stay independent among the sea of new powers.

The hands of the clock return to the position they had started in.

But things were much different since those hands last rested there.

* * *

><p>Time passed.<p>

Problems arose in the lands governed by the pseudo-nobles, by the descendants of mercenaries, by lands ruled by businesses focused on power and money, or by towns that had become little more than groups of warlords with human based armies.

Their citizens began to strafe under their rule. As the world settled down, local trade resumed, and when trade returned people began to communicate once more. They learned how in some places, individuals had it better. What they were missing. Uneasiness grew and revolts began to form. Their rulers began to search for a solution.

Later generations descended from pokémon wielding warlords did not even bother subjugating lands. They wandered, they trained, they fought one another for the joy of battle, they worked or stole or foraged to support their teams, but the no longer ruled and protected.

Lands once defended by their predecessors were now left vulnerable. Fearing those who would exploit them, villages and towns began to hire strong trainers. Instead of tribute they offered a salary and land to fight challengers on. In exchange they asked for protection and for the challenge matches to be non-lethal. Many strong trainers agreed and settled down. They stayed and time passed. As they grew old, they began to teach the children of their lands about pokémon and pokémon training. They established buildings for battling and training, gyms.

People from towns that had developed strong trainer cultures began to flock to these places, as did those from places that lived together with pokémon, tying the communities together.

Cities continued to endure and rebuild. They were constantly tested by all the other powers in the region, from bandit bands, to the new aristocracy, to the last of the pokémon warlords, and even each other. Some begin to crumble under the strain.

More time passed.

The pseudo aristocrats, the ruling corporations, the warlord towns found a solution. It was the same solution that those like them always found. Unification against a scapegoat. They tied themselves together under a banner of authoritarianism, and against their scapegoats. They turned the growing unease their people had for them against the other powers, against non-existent conspiracies, against groups of people, and against pokémon.

They began to spread their influence to the cities. Grand dinners are enjoyed, charitable events thrown, and back room meetings held. Shows of power were made. They marched in uniform through the streets, they sent thugs, soldiers, and 'peacekeepers' into the cities, and they harassed their scapegoats.

Celadon City was the first to be brought into the fold. Vermilion City, Fuchsia City, and Cinnabar Island soon followed.

They formed what was called the Unification Alliance. They rallied themselves against the social minorities, against the sexual minorities, against the misfits, against their political opponents in neutral places, and against pokémon supporters. Not against those who used pokémon, those who enslaved them, or treated them like tools, but those who cared for pokémon, for fought for them and alongside them.

The Unification Alliance rallied their people with hate and sweetened the deal with grand promises of glory, of riches, of power, and of advancement. Promises of restoring the old human power. Promises of restoring the old nation. Promises of unifying the world.

Promises of returning to space.

Their opponents gave them the nickname 'Team Rocket', but members of the Unifcation Alliance embraced the nickname.

Cities not yet under their sway began to look for ways to protect themselves. They could no longer sustain their militias and mercenary armies, at least not at the strength they once enjoyed. Leaders and councils looked around for a solution and they stumbled over the gyms. Cities copied this idea, attracting the best trainers, replacing their much more expensive mercenaries and reorganizing their militias.

A league formed in opposition to the alliance. The Kanto League to counter the Unification Alliance. Both sides prepared for war.

They clashed over one of the few neutral cities remaining, a center for research and manufacturing, Saffron City. The battle was a story in and of itself. It was an echo of the Great War that had preceded it. Saffron City was almost shattered by the fighting.

But what was really important was that, while both sides had been equal at the beginning, by the end one side had nearly been totally destroyed.

The power of the Unification Alliance was shattered. They lost their grip on their cities. They lost their grip on their people. They lost nearly everything, snapped up by the triumphant League.

But they still had most of their wealth. They still had sway over parts of the countryside. And their organization was not entirely destroyed. It went underground, becoming the criminal terrorist organization Team Rocket.

And their families remembered.

* * *

><p>"We just don't have enough time," Brock lamented, putting away a formal jacket that turned out to be too big for Aaron. "If I had a day-"<p>

"You make some fancy clothes?" Ash asked, putting his jacket back on. The two of them were standing in a rather large bedroom, decorated in green colors, including two large four poster beds with curtains, a door leading to a large ivory bathroom, a large wardrobe, and several other luxuries. Pikachu napped on top of the wardrobe.

Scattered about the room were bits of formal wear, taken from the aforementioned wardrobe and delivered by the butler. Brock had done his best, but there was nothing in the house that would fit Aaron.

"Of course not," Brock snorted. "I'd sew up some hemlines or-"

He was interrupted by a knocking on the door.

"Come in," Brock invited the visitor. The door opened and Misty entered.

"So are we going in formal dress or not?", the red head asked the former gym leader.

"Well, since Aaron has nothing in that category, I think we shouldn't." Brock finished putting the jacket away. "Let's show some solidarity here."

"Soli-what?" Aaron asked.

"Solidarity," Misty answered. "Sticking together. Presenting a united front."

"Oh." Ash thought and then frowned. "Why do we need to present a united front? I mean they're probably not going to like us no matter what we do, if what Elle told us is correct."

"Yes, but if we don't present a united front, they'll spend all their time picking on the person who doesn't fit in," Misty pointed out. "In this case you. So we'll be good friends and take some of the attention away from you."

"This is going to be a long night," Brock sighed. "Oh well. The wake should be over soon and Elle or the butler will swing by to escort us to dinner."

"Do you think they'll get mad if we take our pokéballs? Even with with keep them out of sight?" Misty asked.

"Probably," Brock answered. "It would be an insult to their hospitality if they found out that we brought them. It would mean that we didn't trust them."

Misty nodded, letting it go unsaid that she didn't really trust them.

They loitered in the room for a while exchanging the occasional bit of small talk. Brock messed with his hair from time to time, trying to make it seem a little neater. Ash toyed with the bathroom door. Misty leaned against a wall.

There was a knocking on their door, ending the boring awkward silence.

"Come on in," Brock said, opening the door.

"We've got a great party going on! Join us for shots!" Misty added sarcastically.

"Thanks," the knocker was Elle, with a wan smile.

"You okay?" Misty inquired.

"Well enough," Elle answered. "I managed to get out before Grandmother sent the butler to fetch you guys. Gives me a break. But we should get going."

They filed out of the room, Aaron closing the door behind them.

"Is your pikachu going to behave?" Elle asked the dark haired boy.

"Yeah," Ash answered. "He might look for a TV, movies, and a movie player, but he shouldn't damage anything."

After that they walked in silence through the long halls of the mansion, eventually reaching the dining room.

Brock was expecting something different, given what he had already seen and heard. He had expected something more along the lines of a dining hall, with lots and lots of space, something that could fit hundreds. Something lit by a large chandelier.

Instead what they saw, while certainly large, was not a grand hall. There were no chandeliers, only electric lamps on the walls. What they arrived at was a room that was a cross between blue and stone gray, with a long rectangular table shrouded with white table cloth. There were candle sets on the table, casting dim orange light over the surface and casting the faces of those already seated into dim light contrasted with muted shadow.

Eight people had been seated. Aaron recognized Elle's grandmother, Chiyoko, and the two relatives that had 'greeted' them at the door, Maki and Chiyo. There were five more, three women, two men, and a boy who, if not for the the small telltale signs of breathing and open eyes, could have been the guest of honor at the wake.

When Ash and company entered, Chiyoko cleared her throat and stood up.

"Everyone," the old woman's voice focused the attention of all the humans in the room, "while Elle was journeying here, she was caught in the storm. She took shelter in a cave while waiting for the weather to die down. While she was waiting, these strangers stumbled into her shelter. She talked to them and they revealed that they were unfamiliar with the area and the weather. She then extended our hospitality to them as was only proper."

"You will all to extend the courtesy and hospitality expected of an Umagoya to these people, even in times such as this." Chiyoko's eyes swept the room. "Do I make myself clear?"

The people nodded, some normally, some grudgingly, but all save the boy did nod.

"Good. You may now resume dining." The old woman sat down.

"This way please," the butler directed Ash, Brock, Elle, and Misty to the table to be seated.

What caught Ash's attention first was the food. The table was covered in eastern cuisine with lots of rice and seafood, with the occasional western dish thrown in here and there. His stomach growled, demanding the food, but Ash ignored it. He'd have to remember to be polite and not take too much.

The four of them sat down and began to help themselves to the food in silence .

"Hmph," Ash paused in his eating and turned to look at the source of the noise. It was Chiyo who had spoke up.

"Look how low we've fallen," the graying blond said, vaguely looking in Chiyoko's direction. "Our _guests_", she spoke the word in a voice like poisoned honey, "have to serve themselves. In the old days we'd have staff to handle that, we'd have a proper meal."

Chiyoko finished her food, calmly put down her utensils, and then pointed a finger at Chiyo.

"In the old days we cared less about such events. In the old days we wouldn't have come together for a funeral. In the old days we might not have mourned a child." The older narrowed her gaze. "The old days are gone. I think you can continue living in spite of that."

"I dunno," Maki spoke up, rather loudly, from the other end of the table, shooting a dirty look over at the trainers. "I think there are some parts worth bringing back."

"That is your choice of course," the old woman replied. "Though I do hope that you remember how the old days ended. It would most unfortunate if you failed to heed the lessons of the past."

She sighed.

"We've learned too many lessons the hard way." Chiyoko shook her head and returned to her dinner.

Ash turned back to his own dinner. He managed to get two bites in before he was interrupted by someone addressing him.

"It is a rare sight to see pokémon trainers in these halls," Ash turned to look at the speaker. It was the man across the table from him.

It was a tall man, but not a broad man, making him seem more slender than he actually was. He wore the robes of a monk, letting his hat hang down his back as he he ate. Brown eyes, shining with intelligence, looked out from beneath brown bangs.

"But fate makes strange bed fellows and all are equal before the element of nature," the man continued. "The only way for us to survive is to work together, to be united, to not poison the common well with our hate, our bitterness, and our differences."

"Uh, I guess," Ash shrugged, a bit confused.

"After all a twisted root bears only the fruit of death," the man continued. "As a wise sage once said-"

"Oi, Krieg, give the kid a break," the priest was interrupted by a woman with orange hair, sitting on Ash's right. Blue eyes rolled at the priest as the woman tilted her head back to take a long sip of her drink, taking care not to spill any liquid on her black and blue party dress.

"You don't need to try and give a sermon every time you talk," the woman continued. Ash noticed that her words were slightly slurred. She turned to look at the young trainer. "I get that a gathering like this is above your head, but you should know that you can feel free to ignore him when he starts preaching."

Ash shrugged, not trusting himself to say anything.

"I am a priest," the man named Krieg protested. "It is my duty to preach wherever I go Ayoko."

"You already gave a sermon today," the woman named Ayoko shot back before taking another long drink. She sallowed, sighed, and sadly looked at the liquid in the glass. "Now's the time to sit back and forget."

"Something you'll have little trouble with, I'm sure," Krieg said, eyeing the drink too. "Boy, I hope you do not follow her sinful example. Alcohol causes spiritual impurities-"

"Which you can take care of, I'm sure," Ayoko replied. "Isn't that why you stick around?"

Krieg sighed.

"You see what I put with? Truly to be virtuous is to suffer." The priest spoke, once more turning his attention to Ash.

"I realize that I have been impolite young trainer. All this talk and I still do not know your name."

"I"m Aaron Autumns," Ash answered politely.

"And I am Krieg," the priest bowed his head.

They were silent for a long moment while Ash fidgeted with his food, not sure if the conversation was over and whether or not it would be polite to begin eating again.

"I've never heard a name like that before," Aaron offered up a new topic of conversation. "Um, is it a name that's been in your family?"

Krieg folded his hands together in front of him and grinned.

"I wouldn't know, it was the name given to me by the priests who raised me," the robed man answered. "You see I was one of the many orphans found in the wake of the fighting that marked the creation of the Kanto League. I never knew my parents. I only know that I was found as a newborn in one of the villages that was destroyed in the battle for Saffron City."

"Oh." Ash looked down at his food. "I'm sorry." An apology from an orphaned child with some memories of their parents to an orphan with none.

"There is no need for condolences," replied the man. "I feel as if I have found a family, both in the priests who raised me and here with the family who's spirits I care for."

"Oh," Ash didn't know what to say.

There was another silent moment and a couple of awkward mouthfuls of food before speaking again.

"So what was it like?" Ash asked, curious. His own experience as an orphan had been... unique to say the least. He was eager to learn about the experiences of other human orphans.

"What was what like?" The priest asked the boy, still smiling.

"Being raised by priests," Aaron clarified.

"As compared to what? Him maybe?" The priest speared a piece of food with his fork. He took a bite and then gestured with fork, pointing the half eaten morsel at Maki, who was squabbling with Chiyo. "I cannot claim to be able to be able to truly compare my childhood to his as I have not lived his life. Man can never truly understand another man like he understands himself. But, none the less, it is our duty to-"

"Is this preaching?" Aaron interrupted. As far as he could tell the priest was starting to get off topic.

"Ah, you have less spirituality than my Stunky," the priest bemoaned, holding his head in his heads, shifting the fork out of the way. "What is today's youth coming to?"

"You have a stunky?" Ash's eyebrows quirked in interest.

"Most of the priests from my temple have pokémon," Krieg answered. "We caught pokémon that were related to the nature of the shrine we served while we were at the temple."

"Then you're a trainer too!"

"Not really," the priest replied. "We all were _trained with_ our pokémon, we did not train them. I would have never been accepted in this household if I was a pokémon trainer."

"Oh." Ash looked down at his plate.

"It was one of many forms of training that we were forced to go through." The priest's expression grew distant for a moment and then he winced. "It was far preferable to our martial arts training. They trained us against machops, so that we would not grow complacent with normal human opponents. It was not pleasant. However it did teach us the nature of suffering and life. Truly, in order to-"

"You're preaching again." Ayoko stopped the priest once more. "Krieg go lecture Maki on tolerance and temperance again, will you?"

"I have done just that many times-"

"I think once more should do," Ayoko smiled sweetly as the priest rolled his eyes. Krieg then turned to the woman sitting next to him. Ash noted that she was picking at her food lifelessly when the priest began to talk to her.

"So, kid, how's the food," Ash turned to look at Ayoko.

"It's good, I think," Ash replied hesitantly. He hadn't had much of chance to try it really, but Poison Lance had told him to always try and be polite.

And Ash almost always did try to be polite... it was just that he usually failed.

"Better than what you're used to I imagine," Ayoko smirked.

"I guess," Ash shrugged.

"Ayoko, don't waste your time with him," Chiyo called over. "He can't have anything interesting to say."

"Oh, and you know this how?" Ayoko replied. "Have you even said three words to him?"

"I don't need to talk to his kind," Chiyo said, shooting a glare at Ash. "After the storms have cleared up, what do you say that we go over to the Rokubungi's? There are far more _interesting,_" the woman practically purred that word, "talks that we could be having with them."

"Mhmmm," Ayoko took another sip of her drink. "And I suppose we'll also get involved in their oh so _secret _talks as well? About how we can go to Saffron City and paint the town red?"

"Well, it would be nice for our family to visit that city again. And we'll bring even more friends then we did last time." Chiyo smirked.

"And this time we won't even need to buy gravestones!" Ayoko said in a sickly sweet cheery voice, lightly clapping her hands together. "Because there won't be anyone left to buy them!"

"Only if you go with that defeatist attitude," Chiyo harrumphed and turned away.

"I don't know why she thought it was a good idea to bring that up around strangers," Ayoko muttered to herself before.

"Ummm..." Ash began, confused by the exchange between the two women, but Ayoko spoke again before he could complete a thought.

"Don't pay her any mind," the orange haired woman said to the black haired boy. "She's just a bit set in her ways." She sighed. "Like the the rest of them..."

"You seem sad," Aaron said softly, without thinking.

"You know, we all did just got back from a wake," Ayoko pointed out, keeping her voice low and giving her drink a little swirl.

Ash had actually momentarily forgotten that fact.

"Most of you aren't acting like it," Ash said, looking around the room.

Ayoko laughed a small, quiet, and bitter laugh.

"We've all attended enough funerals to learn how to maintain appearances," the woman's face twisted into a self mocking grin. "We mourned for a time at the wake, we'll mourn when we bury the casket in the spring, and we'll mourn that night. But, for the rest of the time, we'll just carry on until the next one of us dies."

"That's what I mean," Ash pointed out. "You keep saying things like that, sad things."

"Me? Sad? Never!" Ayoko placed a hand over her heart. "The very idea! As long as there are drinks to be drunk I'll never be sad. So what if my network of friends and family refuse to adapt and are stuck in a self destructive rut? So what if one of the few remaining breathes of fresh air in this family was recently snuffed out? So what if I'm too much of a coward to leave my family and train some companions for Silks? I've really got nothing to complain about."

"Silks?"

"My persian," answered Ayoko.

Ash blinked.

"Wait, you wanted to be a pokémon trainer?" Ash asked, surprised.

"Maybe," Ayoko replied coyly. "It doesn't really matter. There was never any chance of that happening."

"Why not?"

Ayoko snorted.

"I'm relatively certain you seen how Elle was received here," the woman paused and took another sip of her drink. "It used to be worse when the family was bigger. Uncle George almost attacked her the first time she came home after she became a trainer. And- "

"Wait, but you already have a pokémon," Ash interrupted. "Aren't you a trainer?"

"If anyone asks, Silks is a pet," Ayoko responded. "Or a guard animal. Just like Maki's blastiose. Nothing more. Nothing like the relationship you and your pokémon have or the relationship Elle shares with her pokémon."

"But-" Ash couldn't imagine treating one's pokémon like a simple pet. He could understand having a pokémon and not training it; one could just enjoy spending time with the pokémon as one would a human friend. But, in that situation, one would interact with the pokémon as an equal. One wouldn't treat it like a pet.

"Yeah, it's a hypocrisy," Ayoko continued, not understanding the true cause of Ash's confusion. "But we're all hypocrites one way or another. Still, it's a hypocrisy I'm grateful for. I don't know where I'd be without Silks and I don't know if I could have gone through what Elle went through."

"When she was younger there was a large part of the family, all dead now, who wanted to kick her out. Erase her name from the records, burn all photographs of her, the whole nine yards." The woman took yet another sip of her drink and sighed.

"Really, grandmother is the only reason they didn't go through with it. Or, rather, the reason they couldn't go through with it. Joke's on them though; Elle's still a part of the family and they've all disappeared or died. Though I wonder how many in the former category were moved into the latter category by Agatha after what happened to Saffron City."

"Oh," Ash looked down. He didn't really know what he was supposed to say. Poison Lance had never prepared him for dinner conversations with tipsy people.

A more 'normal' human might wonder why Ayoko was so willing to talk to Ash about the topics she had covered. A more 'normal' human might have realized that there is a certain sort of arrogance that a person might possess that makes them forget about the rather significant difference between ten years of age and three years of age. A mistake that could be encouraged by alcohol and turbulent emotions.

In other words a more 'normal' human might realize that Ayoko saw Ash as a brat, twerp, baby, or little kid.

Luckily, Ash was not normal and thus no offence was taken.

Ash returned to his meal, determined to eat his food before it became cold. For a few minutes he was able to make good progress towards that goal.

Only to be interrupted again.

"Are you even alive!" Ash nearly dropped his utensils when he heard the shout. He turned towards the source and saw Maki, hunched down and trying to look the seemingly lifeless child in the eyes.

"Please don't-" began a man with rather large glasses sitting next to the child. He had black hair and black eyes, and was wearing a drab and dull looking black suit. He reached out and grabbed Maki's shoulder.

"Hikaru, shut up and sit down," Maki snapped at the man. "If you aren't going to try and help your kid, I will."

"You're not-" Hikaru tried to talk again, but Maki turned to him and pushed him back into his seat with one hand. Hikaru tried to stand up, but Maki shot him a fierce glare, and the black haired man settled back down.

"Maki," this time it was the woman on the other side of the child. She was wearing a white funeral kimono, with her blonde hair tied back in a bun. Her jade eyes were pointed downward even as she spoke. "Cousin. Please, let us handle it."

"I'll take care of it Jean," Maki replied firmly. "Just sit down."

Jean didn't reply. She merely looked down at the ground.

Maki turned back to the child.

"Thomas look at me!" The large man bellowed at the child. The child did nothing.

"Look at me!" Maki bellowed again. Once more the child did nothing.

"Thomas, you coward," Maki knelt down and glared Thomas in the eye. Thomas's eyes looked to the side to avoid eye contact, but he didn't move the rest of his body. "You thinks this helps! You think that acting like a brat is going to make anything better!"

There was still no reaction.

"Have you seen what you've been doing to your parents! You're killing them! Do you want them to end up like Jena!?" Maki continued, his voice growing even louder. His face reddened, his eyes grew wet, and he jerked even closer to Thomas, causing the kid to flinch back. "You think we don't miss her too! You little shit, say something!"

He drew his hand back, ready to slap the boy, only for Elle's hand to grab his wrist. The trainer stared down at the large man, her back to the light, leaving her eyes in her own shadow. The jade orbs were fixed in a stony glare.

"Let go you," the man growled. His own black eyes narrowed and his other hand clenched into a fist. His shoulders shifted -

"That's quite enough," both Maki and Elle's heads snapped towards the voice of their grandmother. Elle let go of Maki's wrist, and Maki jumped back from Thomas, standing up to look at the old woman.

"Maki, you've said your piece. Now go sit back down." Chiyoko's stern stare followed her grandchild as he returned to his seat.

"Elle," the brown haired woman flinched when Chiyoko addressed her. Her jade eyes glared into her grandmother's own jade orbs. "Thank you for intervening."

"You're welcome," Elle's voice was even, but her glare remained. She too returned to her seat.

Ash hoped that he could at least finish half of his plate before something else interrupted him.

* * *

><p>After dinner Ash collected Pikachu and his other pokémon, and talked to the staff to see if there was any place he could do some light training indoors. One the maids informed him that the mansion did not contain such a place, but there was a small yard on one of the sides of the manner that would provide some protection from the wind and snow.<p>

Outside they found a tiny island of light, pool of white snow, shining with the reflected light of the single electric lantern above the door. A gray, flaky veil surrounded the small island, the wind whipped snow of the storm flowing around the house. Everywhere the wind howled its hollow sounding rushing howl.

Ash shivered and rubbed his shoulders, letting out a misty breath. Pokéballs flew, light shone, and Ash's team joined him in shivering in the cold.

_Dis is because you're still mad at me, ain't it? _Primeape mimicked Ash, rubbing his upper arms.

_Don't be ridiculous, _Magikarp spoke up. _ He's finally decided to grant me death. You're here to watch me freeze to death. _Magikarp smiled, a goofy looking thing, but filled with simple honest joy. _It should be a nice death. _

_I've let you all out because we're going to do some light training today, _Ash announced, silently ignoring the fish that desperately needed to see a therapist. _And so I can talk to beings that I actually understand, but mainly some light training. _

_Charmeleon, you're with Bulbasaur. Nothing major, just some accuracy training. Bulbasaur will shoot off some Razor Leaves and you have to blast them one at a time, _Ash instructed.

_Yes Ash, _Charmeleon replied dutifully.

_Sure thing, _Bulbasaur answered.

_Pidgeotto, continue practicing on that new both of yours, _Ash said, turning to his flying type. _But stay close and low. Don't go into the snow. _

_Alright, _Pidgeotto nodded.

_Squirtle, you might want to practice sledding, _Ash turned to his water type. _But take it slow- _

_On it! _Not bothering to heed the last part of the request, Squritle withdrew his limbs into his shell and began slide around on the snow.

Ash rolled his eyes.

_Anyway, Primeape, Magikarp, all that I've got for you two to do is shadowbox. If you'd rather go back into your balls-_

_Nah, it'll be an opportunity to stretch my limbs, _Primeape answered, started to stretch. _How 'bout you Magikarp? _

_I'm fine, _Magikarp agreed.

_And Pikachu- _Ash looked at the yellow rodent on his shoulder.

_Aye, aye captain! _Pikachu gave a mock salute.

Ash rolled his eyes.

_I've got some ideas for that defensive move we've been working on, _the human boy continued. _How well do you know Flash? _

_It's not something I use on a regular basis, _Pikachu admitted. _Why? _

_I call it Flash Armor, _Ash grinned. _Basically the idea is to see if we can't surround you with a constant Flash attack, making it hard to get a good look at you. _

_Hmmm, Flash isn't that tiring, but that's because I'm only doing it for an instant. I've never tried to sustain it. It could work if it's the setup that actually the tiring part, _Pikachu mused.

_I was actually thinking that it might be an inherently wasteful move, _Ash commented. _I mean when electric types use it, you just overcharge a discharge and let it destabilize, right? _

_Ash, I should slap you for talking like that. _Pikachu folded his arms and glared at his trainer. _I get what you're trying to say, but really? __I mean, 'overcharge a discharge'? You should know better than that. _

_Sorry, _Ash rubbed the back of his head. _I forgot the proper terminology. It's all the weird humans I've been around today. _

_Oh, do tell, _Pikachu inquired.

_Well, there was the priest who liked to talk a lot, _Ash began. _He kept trying to preach about stuff tangentially related to what we were talking about. And then there was one of the old women who insulted us, or at least I think she did. I couldn't really follow. And then there was this woman who drank a lot. She was sarcastic and gave me a great deal of information about herself. More than I needed really. And then there was this one kid who was frozen from grief and then everyone else had an emotional meltdown. _

Ash sighed.

_I wish I could have just stayed in the room with you, _the trainer said to his pokémon.

_Well that's your fault for not being a pikachu, _Ash's first pokémon told his trainer. _But, from what you've just told me, it seems like you just dealt with humans who have issues with grief. Then again, I don't know that much about humans. Almost everything I know is from watching TVs at an electronics store. _

_Neither do I, _Ash sighed. _But enough about them, let's start working on that defensive move. __  
><em>

Ten minutes passed as the team worked in the cold. They sparred, sledded, worked on their aim, and talked about move mechanics. Even in the biting cold, even with the howling wind, Ash enjoyed his time with his team far more than his time in the mansion.

Pikachu's ear twitched. He focused, trying to ignore the sound of the wind.

_I think I hear someone coming, _the electric type announced. _Ash, remember that you're just a simple human now._

Ash nodded and the door opened. Out stepped Krieg.

"I see that you are indeed a dedicated trainer," the priest began. "Such determination and devotion to your chosen path is admirable. For, as a great sage once said-"

"Are you preaching again?" Aaron interrupted.

The priest sighed.

"Would it kill you to spend more time contemplating spiritual matters?" Krieg shook his head.

"I... don't think so," Aaron replied hesitantly.

"It was a rhetorical question," Krieg said, shooting the boy a dirty look. The priest then turned to look at Ash's team. "So this is your team. Care to introduce me?"

"Sure!" Like most trainers, Ash would always take an opportunity to brag about his team, his friends.

"Alright, this is Pikachu, he was my first pokémon!" Ash held the yellow rodent up to show him off.

_Nice to meet you I guess, _Pikachu nodded at the priest.

"So, as your first pokémon, is he your strongest?" The priest inquired.

"I don't really know," Ash replied. "I mean it depends on what you mean by strongest, I guess. I mean, Charmeleon's probably got more strength than Bulbasaur, but Bulbasaur still beats him all the time."

_I'm his best pokémon though, _Pikachu spoke up.

_And I'm his coolest! _Squirtle exuberantly added.

_And I'm da... _Primeape scratched his head, ... _one with the best punch I guess? _

_Well some of us don't even have arms, _Pidgeotto said, rolling her eyes.

_Some of us have moved past the need for arms, _Bulbasaur smirked, giving his vines a little wave.

_Have you ever tried to punch with claws? _Charmeleon looked down at his talons. _It's not easy._

Krieg looked at Bulbasaur and Charmeleon with a critical eye, shoving his arms up the opposite sleeves.

"And then this is Pidgeotto, she was my third pokémon," Ash continued, ignoring his pokémon's chatter. "Caught her in the Viridian Forest. Then there's Bulbasaur, One of his friends convinced him to come with me. And then came Squirtle, he joined after I helped his group of squirtles put out a forest fire. And then I got Charmeleon when he was still a Charmander when his previous trainer abandoned him, because his previous trainer was not very nice or smart. Then I caught Primeape after he stole my hat outside of Saffron City and Magikarp I picked up in the Safari Zone."

"I see." Krieg removed his arms from his sleeves and put his palms together in front of him. He bowed. "It is a pleasure to meet you all."

He remained bowed for a second or two, and then straightened up, shoving his palms against each and then shooting his arms out into a stretch. The priest let out a little groan.

"I apologize. I have been either sitting or preaching most of the day." Krieg told Aaron. He took a deep breath. "It was nice to get some fresh air, but I fear it is too cold to linger. Though suffering is the path to virtue, suffering without purpose is-"

"Are you about to preach?" Ash inquired, cutting of the priest.

The priest returned to the mansion, muttering under his breath.

"I think he's right guys," Ash said to his team. "Let's go back inside."

_Finally, _Bulbasur muttered, walking forward. _Ouch! _

_What is it? _Charmeleon asked, heading towards the plant type. _Ow! That stings! _

"What's wrong?" Ash inquired, rushing over to his two pokémon.

_Nothing, _Bulbasaur answered. _Just stepped on something that stung. There's probably some nettle or something underneath the snow that isn't dead yet. You should probably avoid training in unfamiliar places where you can't see the ground. Trust me, it ain't fun to discover a pit or some sharp rocks. _

"I'll keep that in mind," Ash replied. He took out his team's pokéballs. Red light shone and his team was recalled.

"Your pikachu doesn't have a pokéball?" Krieg was loitering in the hallway when Ash came in.

"He doesn't like it in his pokéball," Ash informed the priest. "So he just sticks with me all the time."

"I see," Krieg's voice was strange. "That is interesting. Where are you staying?"

"Uh, the west wing I think," Aaron answered.

"Then I will walk with you," Krieg said. "I never got a chance to meet your human companions. Can you tell me anything about them?"

"Well, their names are Brock and Misty," Aaron answered automatically as they began to walk. "Brock used to be a gym leader for Pewter City. He left after his father returned so he could work on becoming a pokémon breeder. "

"The rock type gym," Krieg said softly.

"Misty's a gym trainer from Cerulean City," Aaron continued. "Brock's a bit of a worrywart. He can be overprotective and annoying. And he's always chasing after women. "

"How sinful."

"And Misty's got a temper. She used to act weird occasionally, but she's quit that. She's also bit of a runt, at least compared to her sisters," Aaron continued on, oblivious. "She's also a bit sarcastic."

"That must get tiring," Krieg commented. "Dealing with such people."

"No!" Ash protested. "I mean they can get annoying, but they're good people. I like traveling with them!"

"Oh? Then why didn't you list their good qualities just now?"

"Uh..." Ash was stumped. "I don't know."

"I see," Krieg said, stroking his chin. "Well, I'm sure it's nothing. I realized that I have forgotten to take care of something. I must take my leave now."

* * *

><p>"What are you doing here?" Brock stopped deciding which way to go at the intersection of the hallways and turned around to find Elle behind him, her arcanine following. "You should probably stay in the west wing."<p>

"I'm looking for Aaron," Brock told her.

"I'll look for him," Elle said. "You can go back to your room."

"If it's all the same to you, I'll keep looking for him," Brock replied.

Elle let out a small sound of disapproval, but nodded.

"Fine. I'd start by looking over this way," she pointed at the left hallway.

"Lead the way," Brock offered. She shrugged and began to walk. Brock joined her.

They searched several unused rooms with furniture stacked and dusty personal items packed away, all in awkward silence.

"So," Elle began, trying to break the tension. "I'm guessing you might have some questions about what happened at dinner?"

"Not really," Brock replied, thinking of some of the the issues with his own family. "Well, I don't get why you hate your grandmother so much. Also, our reception wasn't as bad as you said it was going to be."

"I don't hate her," Elle's response was automatic. She paused for a moment. "And, as to your reception, I was still thinking of the days when this family used to be bigger. I think most of us do. I still can't believe that a family reunion can fit into that little room now. Most of those who would have hated you are gone, but memories of them define what I think of when I remember our homes."

"I'm sorry about that," Brock told her, leaving it vague whether he was referring to the shrinking family or the bad memories. "But you are lying about your grandmother. You looked more ready to attack when speaking to her then when manhandling your relative," Brock pointed out.

Elle looked down for a moment.

"I guess I still have work to do before I start player competitive poker," the woman stated with a wry grin. The grin quickly faded. "It's a long story."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Brock asked.

Elle threw back her head and let out a short laugh.

"Ah, I'd need to get some alcohol first to really get into it," Elle said, wiping at her eye. "It's not really something to talk about casually with strangers."

"We're stuck here until the blizzard's over," Brock replied. "We've got to talk about something. And since I get the feeling that your family doesn't want to talk about the deceased..."

"We quit doing that years ago," Elle told him. "Too many funerals and not enough people left to talk at them."

"So we're left with a couple days of awkward silence or we can look for topics to talk about," Brock continued. "I'll tell you about my deadbeat gym leader dad and you can tell me about why you despise your grandma."

Elle snorted.

"You'll show yours if I show mine," Elle grinned and let out a breath. "Well it began a long time ago."

She began to pet her arcanine's head.

"It was long before I got Growlie here. I actually hated him back then, but I was a stupid kid."

"We all were," Brock agreed with a shrug.

"There was this boy." Elle continued. "If it wasn't for our families private tutors we would have both been in primary school. He was Growlie's original owner when he was just a pup." Elle ruffled the fur on said pokémon's head and flashed him a grin. "I had a bit of a crush on him-"

There was a loud boom and then the lights flicked and went off.

"That's not good," Elle muttered. "Growlie, a light please?"

A small, yet bright flame fluttered out of the arcanine's mouth.

"Come on, let's go check on the generator," Elle said. "This way."

She led him through several more hallways at a brisk walk. Growlie's orange light illuminated the way as they hurried towards the problem.

The two of them rounded a corner and nearly bowled over a surprised Aaron and Pikachu.

"There you are," Brock said, grabbing the younger boy's shoulders to steady him. "I've been looking for you. Where have you been?"

"I found a spot outside to get a little training in," Aaron answered. "What happened to the lights?"

"I think something happened to the generator," Elle informed him. "Come on, we were heading down there ourselves."

* * *

><p>A group had gathered in a basement room, a group carrying flashlights. Many beams illuminated the smoking wreckage of the power generator. There was the butler, several other servants of varying types, and most of the family, excluding Maki and Elle.<p>

"I don't know if it was deliberate or not," a man in a mechanic's suit said, standing up from where he had been crouching by the generator. "There's a flaw with this model that can cause this to happen in rare circumstances."

"Can you fix it?" Chiyoko asked.

The man shook his head.

"Not with the parts we have here," he told the old woman. "I'll need to go to town to get some parts."

"What happened?" The heads in the crowd turned to look at the newcomers: Elle, Brock, and Aaron.

"There is a slight problem with the generator, as I'm sure you can observe," Chiyoko stated flatly. She then turned back to the mechanic. "We don't have any vehicles this year as it was only supposed to be a short visit. You'll have to carry the parts back yourself."

"In that case I'll need to bring some of the other staff with me," the man replied.

Chiyoko quickly looked over the room.

"Take everyone but Julie and Marget. Those two can see to our needs while the rest of you make the trip to town." Chiyoko instructed. "How's the backup generator?"

"You'll get some minimum power," the mechanic told her. "It'll be enough to heat and light one wing, power the kitchens, and take care of ventilation. All other systems, including security, will be offline. You might be able to get a bit more power if you can find a charged power cell or two lying around, but I wouldn't count on it. Most of them would've been fried when the generator blew up."

The old woman nodded.

"Very well, you should start getting ready to go off. Go as fast as you can in this storm, but do not take any unnecessary risks. No need to die over this. When you get to town, I want you to bring back medical professionals and a vehicle if you can, just in case. You are dismissed." The mechanic nodded and all the staff began to file out of the room. Chiyoko turned to her family and guests.

"While I have no proof that any wrongdoing occurred here today, I will be keeping a close eye on _all _of you," Chiyoko said to the people remaining, making sure to look both her family members and her guests in the eyes. "I hope that there are no further problems. I suggest that you all retire back to your rooms."

Everyone else began to leave the room. Chiyoko tapped Elle on the arm before the younger woman could leave.

"Yes grandmother?" Elle asked, trying to hide the terseness in her voice.

"Do you know where your guests have been recently?"

"I know Misty was in her room," Elle answered. "And I encountered Brock in the halls. He was looking for Aaron."

"So you don't actually know where Brock and Aaron where," Chiyoko stated. "Have you seen Krieg or Maki?"

Elle shook her head.

"No sign of them," she answered.

"And I haven't seen Ayoko since dinner," Chiyoko told Elle. "Nor have I seen Hikaru."

"What about the staff?" Elle asked.

"I was supervising them after dinner." Chiyoko informed her granddaughter. "We should try and locate Krieg and Maki now."

* * *

><p>It took them awhile to comb through the mansion without the servants, as they were packing for the first part of the search and then they left during the second part. At first the pair stuck to the lit hallways, but eventually they had to start combing the unlit ones.<p>

"If that boy is up to what I think he is up to there will severe consequences," Chiyoko muttered darkly. "I've told him repeatedly-"

"You think he's bothering the maids again?" Elle inquired. "If that's the case, that ass might have cornered Marget and Juliet in one of the laundry rooms."

"I have made it perfectly clear that they are free to strike at any part of his person that they think appropriate if he bothers them," Chiyoko said, picking up her pace as she headed for the nearest laundry room.

She yanked open the door and flinched back. Elle peaked over her shoulder. She froze at the sight that greeted her.

Sprawled on the floor were the bodies of Maki, a pokéball in his hand, and the bodies of two maids.

* * *

><p>AN: I'd like to thank Rukia Siry for beta reading this chapter.<p>

Alright this took way longer than expected. Part of the problem was that I got the first half done relatively quickly and then burned myself out continuously revising that history info-dump to make it more tolerable. Another part of the problem was that this arc uses elements that I'm not the best at writing, so I took a long time to get stuff out that I didn't feel like killing with fire. Yet another part of the problem was the vacation I took partway through writing, and then there was the apartment hunting. Finally finished that. Maybe it'll help with the update speed, maybe it'll hurt. We'll see.

Anyway, cannot wait to finish this arc so I can start wrapping up Kanto. After getting to know the characters, playing around with world-building, and getting some experience under my belt, I'll be handling the Orange Islands and everything after that differently. Everything will be more arc based and a bit less bloated.

Please point out my flaws. I need help recognizing them so I can improve. So leave a review. Tell me why my name should be cursed by later generations until the end of time, and how my writing offends all that is good in the world.

REVIEW:AN


	35. Chapter 35

AN:I do not own pokemon:AN

* * *

><p>There were no words spoken around the body of Maki and the maids. The Umagoya's faces were either unreadable, or, in the case of Chiyo, Jean, and Hikaru, twisted in a combination of fear and grief. Brock and Misty silently observed the body from a distance. Ash waited out in the hallway, hugging Pikachu to his chest.<p>

Maki hadn't been the kindest person to the pokeraised child, but Ash still didn't take his death well. It left him feeling nauseous and anxious; a quesy stomach being churned by the unfocused nervous energy bouncing around his insides. And somehow a heavy pain simultaneously occupied him, a sense of pity and loss for an already grieving family.

Pikachu picked up on his trainer's silent distress and nuzzled Ash.

Misty felt like she should have been expecting this. There was a blizzard, possible sabotage, a wealthy family, lots of tension, and there had already been a dead body in the house. And they were traveling with Aaron. Of course something was going to happen. Now they were trapped by the weather, stuck in the house with a killer, until help arrived.

Brock stepped forward. He felt no need to reflect, only to deal with what had happened. He turned to Elle, who was leaning against the wall and looking down at her feet.

"Do you know the most likely spot that an intruder could have gotten in?" He asked the woman.

"No, not really," Elle responded automatically. "Points of entry have never been something we've concerned ourselves with, what with the security system and all."

"But since that's down, there's no way of telling," Brock said. "And if it was sabotage, then they were in here before the security system was shut down. Alright, I'll need to ask the others some questions-"

"Wait, what?" Elle interrupted. "No, that's something _I'll_ handle, thank you very much."

Brock paused. He hadn't anticipated that. He probably should have, it was her family after all.

On the other hand...

"You've had experience with crimes?" Brock inquired.

"I've stopped a couple," Elle answered without hesitation.

"Ever had to investigate any?" Brock continued.

"No and I get where you're headed," Elle glared at him. "And just how much experience do you have with criminal investigations, oh great gym leader?"

"I've had some training and helped the police in Pewter City," Brock responded, crossing his arms.

"So what? You got some lessons from the police and helped track down a couple of robbers," Elle used the inches she had on him to look down on him. "That's not very much experience. Certainly not enough to let you go and try and handle both my family and track down a killer."

"It's more than you've got," Brock shot back.

"I've had to spend years living with these people," came Elle's reply. "I'm the local expert on the Umagoya's. You can back me up."

"I note that you're not exactly impartial here," Brock said. "As you've said this is _your _family, and you have stated that you have had issues with them."

"And you're not entirely impartial here either," Elle stepped away from the wall, "not after the reception you received from Maki and Chiyo."

"Yes because a single evening in which they were rude to me is enough to make me compromised," Brock rolled his eyes. "Look, all I'm really interested in is making sure that no one else dies. Asking your family questions will help me know what's safe to do-"

"And who seems the most suspicious," the red head interrupted. "But you're forgetting, to them you and your friends are the most suspicious people here."

"True," Brock admitted. "Why don't we just do this together if you're so worried?"

"That is acceptable." Elle answered. "Why didn't you just suggest that in the first place?"

"Uh," Brock thought for a moment. Why hadn't he suggested that they work together from the beginning? "I guess it's just not the first thing I consider."

"That might get you into trouble one day," the red haired woman commented. "But that's not something we should be discussing right now. Who do you want to start with?"

* * *

><p>Brock cleared his throat after he and Elle walked over to by the rest of her family and the surviving Umagoyas turned to face the source of the noise as a group.<p>

"Excuse me," Brock began. "Could we please talk with Chiyo in another room?"

"Why? What's this all about?" The graying blonde shot the pair a dirty look. "Anything that _you've_," she practically hissed the word as she spoke it and pointed one finger at Brock, "got to say to me can be said in front of everyone else too."

"It's just a couple of questions that we think would be helpful to ensuring the safety of everyone here," Brock began, keeping his tone nice and diplomatic.

"You mean you think I killed Maki," Chiyo's eyes narrowed and her voice began soft, low, and dangerous, like the quiet hiss of a hidden snake. "You little-"

"No," Elle shook her head, "but you might know something about what happened?"

"What's that supposed to mean," Chiyo began to stride over, fearsome glare turning to Elle.

"Well, hopefully we were thinking you might have information about possible ways into the house," Brock answered.

"Or are you hoping to hear about what he might have been involved in?" Chiyo turned back to Brock. "Don't think I don't have my eye on you! In fact I think you might know the most about Maki and his death!"

"Yeah," came Hikaru's hesitant voice. He fidgeted and looked at the floor, but continued speaking. "I agree. You're the most suspicious one here."

"My husband is right," Jean's quiet voice spoke up next. "I mean you showed up here unannounced and you are, well, I don't need to say it."

"Out of all the people here, you and your friends most likely had the most resources to kill Maki," Chiyo's glare intensified.

"You would know how to deal with his guard pokémon," Jean added.

"And how to stop him for reaching for his pokeball," Hikaru added as well.

"He was with me just before the generators failed," Elle interjected, coming to Brock's defense. "Misty was in her room and Aaron's a bit young to be under suspicion."

"So?" said Chiyo. "The girl could have snuck out."

Misty, who had walked over to the conversation when she heard the commotion, shot here a glare.

"We don't know when Maki was killed-" Chiyo continued, only to be interrupted.

"But all the servants were in the basement," Elle pointed out. "Including Juliet and Margret!"

"Then one of you went back to the scene of the crime to clean up the evidence, stumbled upon Juliet and Margret and silenced them!" Chiyo was nearly yelling now. "And even then, we only have your word about Brock's whereabouts and given your proclivities I doubt we can trust that!"

"That is enough!" Everyone fell silent and turned to Chiyoko. "I will not have this family turn on itself! I trust Elle and each and every other member of this family without reservation!" She shot a dark look at Chiyo while she talked. The other woman held her gaze for a brief moment and then looked down. Quiet continued to reign over those assembled. "If she can account for her guests, I believe her. I also know something of her guests and if they wanted Maki dead they would have used more obvious methods."

She turned to Brock.

"If you feel that you must make inquiries, then you may do so right here, in this room, with all of us in attendance. I will not have you randomly hounding this family. Am I clear?"

"Yes ma'am," Brock replied, not wishing to challenge her after her previous display of authority. He turned back to Chiyo. "Do you know if there are any little known ways into the house?"

"I used to, but they were all eventually covered up," Chiyo replied, coldly. "I don't know if Maki knew of any others."

"Do you know of anyone who might have a motive to see your relative dead?"

"Plenty of people," came another cold response, "but mainly on general principle, rather than out of any personal malice."

"Chiyo," Chiyoko's tone was one of warning.

"Fine," Chiyo rolled her eyes. "I wasn't aware of anyone who might have hated him. And I don't know about anyone who stood to benefit from his death."

"He didn't have a will or anything?" Brock raised an eyebrow.

"He didn't have anything other than a trust fund," Chiyo answered. "Nobody here, except Aunt Chiyoko, does."

"And in my will a set percentage of my own personal assets is given to each of my surviving relatives," Chiyoko spoke up, "and anything remaining after that is given to either to charity or to the family trust. Nobody in the family has reason to benefit from the passing of another."

"Yes, because everything you touch must be twisted, crafted, tuned to the utmost precision, even after your death," Chiyo muttered darkly. "We don't even get the heirlooms-"

"And you shouldn't need to cling onto such tokens of the past," Chiyoko's reply was calm, cool, collected. "If you really wish for such items back, you could purchase them from the family trust-"

"I shouldn't need to purchase back my mother's, your sister's, hairbrush!" Chiyo shouted. "I don't-"

"Give it up," Elle interrupted, eyes going flat and cold, looking at Chiyoko, "she never budges."

"Uh," Brock spoke up, trying to think of something to say to stop the situation from devolving into explosive family drama.

"What?" Chiyo snapped turning to the gym leader. "Why are you even asking all these questions? Do you think you can catch the murderer? Or is it just a cover-"

"I had hoped to get a clue whether or not the killer might still be a threat," Brock answered calmly. "But since nobody has any idea about the killer, then we have to assume that they're still a threat to everyone else here."

"Oh?" Chiyoko raised an eyebrow. "And what do you suggest that we do?"

"We need to find a defensible position," Brock answered. "Some place with only one entrance where we can hole up."

"We can use the bedrooms in the east hallway," Chiyoko said, tapping her chin. "We'll have to route power to them first, so that they're heated."

Misty, who had been silently listening, almost protested that. Since they didn't know anything about the killer, about how they operated, who they were, or what their motive was, they couldn't be sure that a set up like that was going to work, at least not without more preparation. Instead of heating that wing up, Misty would have rather had it so that it was left without power and simply had everyone bundle up. Then they could seal all the vents, windows, and other openings with ice. And then she would have liked to put a very thin layer of ice around the edges of each door, so that they couldn't be opened silently.

But she didn't say anything. Brock, Elle, and Chiyoko would have the situation in hand, there was no reason to embarrass herself by speaking up.

**...Runt**

**A perfect gym trainer like yourself...**

Yeah, they had it covered.

* * *

><p>"You know, I could have handled this myself," Elle said dryly from her spot by the breaker panel, Growlie watching her actions curiously by her side.<p>

"Nobody should go anywhere alone until help arrives," Brock replied, leaning against a wall.

They had already herded everyone else into the hallway and the rooms that they would be staying in for the rest of their time there. Aaron and Misty stood guard over the entryway, both of their teams out of their pokéballs and ready for trouble.

Elle rolled her eyes.

"While I agree with the sentiment, I still think you would be of more use back with the others," she said. "There's nothing for you to do here except stand and worry."

"And you couldn't have configured the power if someone had ambushed you and killed you on the way here," Brock retorted.

"It would be pretty hard to ambush me and Growlie in this house," the woman replied, twisting something. "Finished." She closed the panel and stood up. "Now let's hurry back."

They passed through the dark and empty mansion quickly, hurrying for the relative safety of the rest of the group. Once bright halls became panes of shadow splintered by their flashlights. Formerly familiar objects became warped and menacing in the scant light, strange dark shapes on the edge of vision, silently lurking. Heavy silence had been draped over the building, broken only by the soft sounds of their footfalls, too loud to Brock's ears, loud enough to distract from any small but important noises that could be around them. Winter's icy fingers had begun to reach through the walls, chilling the air and frosting windows briefly illuminated by the pair's flashlights.

The two of them came to a set of stairs that lead to a pair of closed doors, against which Misty leaned, watching her team and the stairwell. Misty and her team tensed when the two of them came into view.

"Where's Aaron?" Brock inquired as the sentries relaxed. "It was supposed to be both of you-"

"He's on the other side of the door," Misty answered. "Second line of defense in case anything slipped past me."

"That's a good idea," Brock said, nodding. "I'll need you to stay out here and support me, I can't use Onix in a space like this. Elle, could you go back and relieve Aaron?"

"Not going to happen," Elle crossed her arms. "I want a whack at whoever killed Maki. I'm not going to cower behind those doors while you two get them first."

"If the killer's going to make another attempt you are a likely target," Brock pointed out. "You should-"

"The only way I'm going is if you use force," Elle glared at the gym leader.

Misty shrugged.

"I'll go support relieve Aaron," she said to the other two. "That way we won't have to worry about him. You can keep an eye on Elle."

Brock grunted and nodded, unhappy with the compromise, but still accepted it. Misty departed through the two doors and Brock deployed his team, minus Onix.

They stood in awkward silence for a few minutes, before Elle decided to speak up.

"Why rock types?"

Brock turned to her and tilted his head in silent questioning.

"I mean why rock instead of something else?" Elle elaborated.

Brock shrugged.

"It fits me," he answered simply.

"Then let me put it another way," Elle continued. "How did you find out that that rock type was the specialization that fit you?"

Brock looked down at the floor for a moment.

"I never really gave it much thought," he replied eventually. "I grew up in a gym full of rock types. My father used rock type pokémon."

Elle smirked.

"I guess we're all warped by our family, one way or another."

"Some more than others," Brock commented dryly. "You never did finish telling me about that boy and how he's related to you hating your grandmother."

Elle sighed. "I guess I didn't, did-"

Before she had a chance to finish the sentence there was a scream. Brock and Elle shared an alarmed look and then rushed through the doors.

Aaron and Misty were three steps ahead of them, already rushing towards the source of the scream. A door was ajar and more were opening as the others rushed towards the source of the scream.

Brock and Elle dashed through the door after Aaron and Misty, coming across the scene. Jean stood by the side of the doorway, face devoid of color, mouth frozen in a scream, eyes wide and staring at Chiyo's unmoving body.

"Move," Elle shoved Brock out of her way and rushed to the body. She worked quickly, checking for a pulse or for breathing.

"There's no-nothing," Elle's voice hitched. "I can't find any vital signs."

Brock crouched next to the body, double checking. He spoke aloud the words that Elle could not bring herself to say.

"She's dead."

* * *

><p>Once more the group- though now they could be called the survivors- gathered, breaking off into smaller groups of immediate family and friends. Unlike last time they were not still. There was an agitated energy in the air, almost everyone had some tic, some nervous motion, all except Chiyoko. She simply solemnly stared at the body of her niece.<p>

Aaron, Misty, and Brock stood off to the side, whispering harshly among themselves. Aaron held Pikachu close to his chest, answering inquiries when they were sent his way. Misty stared at her feet and occasionally scuffed the floor, shoulders slumped and chin on collarbone. She seemed somehow smaller than usual, deflated, defeated, and seemingly limp.

"How did this happen?" Brock's face was set in a stony glare directed towards Misty. "Weren't you watching the hallway?"

"No, I was watching the door," Misty shot back, looking up and giving him a brief glare of her own before her eyes fell once more. "You know, the only entrance to this hallway."

Brock bit back an angry reply. He knew it wouldn't have been fair to get mad at her; they never thought to talk about making sure that the Umagoyas weren't doing any suspicious themselves.

Misty bit her lip and shifted her weight.

This could have been avoided. She knew it.

Noise, noise could have saved Chiyo. Or at least left a clue about as to the identity of her killer. Ice, ice being broken could have made that noise. If she had only spoken up!

Hindsight was perfect, and perfection was inhuman and cruel. There was no mercy in truth, no comfort, no consideration for motivations, aims, or cautions.

The truth was that someone was dead and there was a chance that it could have been prevented if Misty had spoken up. Such knowledge made her feel as if she had been dangling over an abyss, holding onto to a branch with one hand, and that the branch had just slipped out of her fingers, leaving her without an anchor, adrift in seas of dark misery.

Unaware of Misty's turmoil, Brock struggled with his own frustrations. A bitter tightness, a sour pain welled up within him as he contemplated the past, present, and future. Another death, the trust that would be lost, and the difficulties that would come with moving forward.

Aaron just held Pikachu closer.

"We can't just stand around here," Brock's voice eventually broke the silence. "We need a new plan."

"Like your last one worked so well," the group turned to look at Jean, glaring and trembling and pointing one shaking finger at them. "We listened to you and Chiyo still ended up-"

"It was a sensible enough plan," Chiyoko interrupted. "Though in hindsight, it underestimated the abilities of the murderer."

"We're going to need to keep everyone together, in the same room, from now on," Brock told her. "Pick one in this hallway-"

The old woman shook her head.

"There is no room large enough to fit everyone," Chiyoko informed the gym leader. "I think it would be more prudent to divide us into two groups. Hikaru, Jean, Thomas, and I will stay together in one room. Ayoko and Krieg will take another."

The trainers exchanged glances.

"Two trainers to a group?" Elle suggested. Brock nodded.

"Misty, you and Aaron watch over Chiyoko's group," Brock ordered. "Elle, tell Ayoko to have her pokémon out."

"On it," Misty replied, grabbing Aaron's arm and turning to Chiyoko. "Ma'am, if you would..."

There was no protest when Chiyoko told the others of the new plan. Two rooms were chosen, on opposite ends of the hallway, and the group split up. Once more Elle and Brock found themselves standing guard in front of a door.

For a couple minutes they stood guard quietly. Elle had Growlie out and had slumped against the wall, hands tangled in the fire type's mane, pressing the side of her face against her companion's fur and her forehead against her forearm. Brock thought that he caught her shaking once or twice out of the corner of his eye.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Brock eventually asked.

"No thanks." The woman didn't look up.

"You sure?"

"There's nothing to talk about." Elle clutched her pokémon a bit tighter. "Just another stupid death."

There was another moment of silence.

"Then why don't you finish telling me about that boy?" Brock suggested.

There was a short sharp burst of helpless laughter from the other trainer.

"And discover another body?" Elle shifted as she spoke, not quite looking up, but turning a little in Brock's direction.

"Or maybe catch the murderer in the act," Brock said, adding a lightness he didn't really feel to his voice. "It's not like the universe is conspiring to stop you from telling your story."

"Just the murderer." Elle sounded like she was grinning, but her face was still hidden in her pokémon's fur. "Fine, why not?"

"Well, as I said earlier, he was the original owner of Growlie here, and I had a bit of a crush on him," Elle began. "Well, maybe more than a bit. Enough to persuade my parents to talk to his parents about arranging a marriage."

"Precocious weren't you," Brock commented, one eyebrow raised. There was a broken, muffled giggle from Elle.

"I guess so." Elle admitted. "I was a little terror back then. I was cute and ruthless beyond measure. Poor kid didn't have a chance. I tricked him into expressing interest in the marriage and then, boom, our families arranged it. And then my evil started. I monopolized his time, hounded him relentlessly, constantly bossed him around and was, in general, an unholy terror to him. I even wanted him to get rid of poor Growlie here because I thought that he wouldn't go well with the delcatty I wanted."

"That does sound awful," Brock agreed.

"Well I was only seven at the time," the woman admitted, earning a chortle from Brock. "Children can be right little monsters at times."

"I know," Brock said, reflecting on the time he had spent raising his siblings.

"He was a quiet child back then. Although that might have been because I never gave him a chance to talk." Elle said wistfully.

"Thankfully," she continued, "I matured a little as we grew up. I was still spoiled and self-absorbed and I was still was a fool about Growlie, but I was less far less demanding, and more appreciative of his company. For his part, he quit being quite so quiet and could actually be flamboyant when he put his mind to it. Surprisingly he became really good with electronics. He was always fiddling with some gadget or other. I swear he once broke half of the things in the house trying to upgrade them because he was bored.

"He also showed an interest in training pokémon, not just keeping them as pets like he did Growlie, but as a proper pokémon trainer. He occasionally mentioned that he wanted to travel when he came of age, to see the world.

"I spent nearly all my free time with him. He became my best friend instead of a crush. It's my regret that I don't know if I was his."

"If he spent all that time with you-" Brock began, but was cut off.

"I know his family exerted some pressure on him to do so," Elle's grip on Growlie tightened. "And remember I was a terror back then. There were times I think he just came along because it was easier then fighting with me."

"Why would his family get involved?"

"To strengthen ties with my family," Elle shrugged. "I never found out for certain and it's not like I can ask them anymore."

"I'm guessing we're getting to the important bit," Brock commented.

Elle looked up. Her eyes were wet and red rimmed, her cheeks were splotchy, but her glare was agate hard and expression stony as the surrounding mountains.

"All of it was important," her voice low and stern. "All the relationships back then were important, between me and him, between me and my family, between him and his family, between Growlie and me, and between those like my family, like his family, and the rest of the world. Relationships form the bedrock of joy and tragedy. Even seemingly insignificant relationships can save or damn entire nations."

Brock slowly nodded in both agreement and silent apology.

Elle glared at him for a few seconds more before her gazed softened.

"Some people might find it sort of funny; back then I got along with my family, but there was tension between him and his family."

"Why?"

The woman sighed.

"I don't know for sure. He didn't agree with some of the things they wanted him to do. He didn't agree take up whichever profession they wanted him to take up. But, the thing is, there were others in that family who had similar reservations and there was nowhere as much tension involved in those relationships. As to what was the cause of the deeper tension, I have my suspicions, but that's all they are. I don't find any of possibilities scandalous or insulting anymore and I doubt you would either, but I'll respect his memory and not give voice to baseless rumors.

"It doesn't matter in the end. The only thing that mattered was that his family made him 'disappear'." Elle snorted. "Even though everyone who moved in our circles knew where he was. You know some of the residences owned by my family have actual dungeons? It's not an uncommon thing for old money to do in this region. And nobody ever thinks twice about it because everyone assumes that it's because the house used to be part of a castle, or it's an old mansion, or that it's meant to make the house seem older and grander.

"But that's because every last fucker keeps quiet when they do decide to use them," Elle voice was low, raspy, harsh, and hateful. "It's 'tough love', 'taking care of a scandal', or saving the family face, but they'll use those dungeons and their equipment. Families who don't like how their children are turning out, don't like their personalities, don't like that they're too masculine or too feminine, don't like their beliefs or their orientation. It's really nothing new. People like them have always done this sort of thing. I researched it a bit and it's been going on since before the Great War. The only difference is that back then they outsourced their cruelty. "

"Are you sure about that," Brock's voice was distant. "Family can be pretty messed up, but to go that far-"

"I fucking saw him one last time," Elle snapped. "Grandmother started visiting them frequently after he was taken away. She brought me with several times, but never let me sit in on any discussions. Once I waited outside and looked up, at the window to what used to be his room. There were bars over it and the curtains were drawn at first, but then they twitched open and I saw him one last time. It must have been between 'sessions' or whatever those pricks were calling them, but he was there.

"He- He- I never had seen him looked so scared, or lost, or hurt, and by hurt I don't mean the bruises that I saw, but just his eye- I can't even describe it." Elle pulled Growlie closer. "I couldn't do anything- we just looked at each other and then someone grabbed him and the curtains closed.

"I ran inside and found his father. It's a bit hazy, but I remember screaming until my throat hurt. I might have attacked someone, I vaguely recall some blood and people grabbing me. The only thing I really remember is his mother, standing on top of a grand velvet staircase. She was looking down at me, on me.

"I asked her why they were doing this to him. She told me 'It's for the good of the family. You'll understand when you're older.'"

Elle looked down again, her voice growing quiet.

"I don't remember anything else from that day. A few weeks later there was a fire and they all died. Most of the bodies couldn't even be identified, his included."

"I know you've probably already thought about this, but maybe he didn't die there," Brock suggested.

Elle shook her head.

"Both his room and the dungeon had been completed destroyed in the fire," she explained. "There were absolutely no survivors found."

"So what does this have to do with your grandmother?"

"My grandmother never really much cared for him." Elle's gaze dropped and grew dark. "She only supported the engagement because it would bring his family closer. The thing is that Chiyoko is clever, devious, controlling, and she always knows what's going on. She would've known what they were planning."

"So you hate her for not saving him?"

"No." The woman's voice was a growl. "I hate her because she probably suggested what they did to him. I hate her because of the control she has over the family. I hate her because of how she uses her control over my family. I hate her because she's the epitome of everything wrong with what I grew up around. "

"You see, I came to a realization after the fire. I visited the ruins of the mansion, confused and grieving. There I wandered in a daze until I came across Growlie.

"He was an absolute mess, covered in soot and dirt, and his fur was tangled. He was just tearing through the rubble, whining and moaning. And then he saw me. We just looked at each other.

"Neither of us had ever liked the other. But then and there, at that place... I just started crying and grabbed him. Just the two of us in the ashes, mourning what was lost in our own way. I left and I took Growlie with me. We went back to my family and I looked at them, at my life, at everything for the first time. I didn't like what I saw.

"We might have never gone as far as my former fiancee's family, but we shared unpleasant characteristics with them. We were just as controlling, just as judgmental, just as arrogant, and just as xenophobic. My uncles and aunts had encouraged me to shun anyone who had left the beaten path. They refused to speak the names of those who had joined the League. They were cruel to my cousins when they didn't fit into their predetermined roles. They treated people who didn't move in their social circles as less than human.

"And then there was my grandmother, the matriarch, controlling and manipulating all of that. I watched her closely and I saw how she was always one step ahead of everyone else, inside our family and out. I saw how no one could keep a secret from her.

"And I saw how she used that power; she had those that she didn't like and weren't part of the family disgraced, she ruthlessly expanded the families assets, and while she allowed us some measure of freedom, she always made sure that none of us escaped her gaze. Nothing we were involved in escaped her gaze. And everyone was either fine with this or they just wanted to take her place.

"And I was just like them. I was partaking in the attitudes that were responsible for having my fiancee locked up and tortured, like they were. I was under grandmother's control like they were. And I treated others as shamefully as they did.

"So I decided to leave. I took Growlie and Oddish and left to become a pokémon trainer."

"And your family objected?" Brock asked.

"My uncles, my aunts, my cousins, they tried to stop me," Elle replied. "They shouted and blustered and threatened me. I almost caved in, but they would've made me abandon Growlie. I couldn't do that to _his_ pokémon. So I left them. Most of them quit talking with me, well, outside of veiled insults and threats when I had to come back from time to time."

"What made you come back?" Brock said, stretching a bit.

"My grandmother," Elle almost spat out the word. "Even when I was hiding under a false name she always managed to have someone hand me an 'invitation' . I got the real message each time. So I attended whatever event that she wanted me to attend and then left. And it's a good thing too. Had I stayed with them I might have ended up like most of them. Bitter, angry, and then stuck in an early grave."

"And that's why I look murderous when dealing with my grandmother."

"Well..." Brock tried to think of something to say. "I guess I can get where you're coming from and I don't know enough about the situation to really say anything."

"You're the one who inquired in the first place."

"Curiosity killed the meowth," Brock shrugged. "At least we killed some time."

"It's nice to know that the significant events from my life are at least able to pass a few minutes," Elle said, rolling her eyes.

"I already said that I don't know enough to comment on it." Brock replied, defensive.

"Yeah, sorry," Elle looked down. "I guess there really isn't much one can say. And before you suggest trying to go to the authorities, all the proof is gone and she would have them in the palm of her hand after the first round of questioning."

"I figured as much," Brock said.

They both were quiet for a moment, like they had been earlier. Only this time Elle was sitting up, and though she still held her arcanine close, there wasn't any sign that she was crying.

Brock eventually broke the silence.

"Thanks for telling me."

"Thanks for listening."

* * *

><p>Hours passed by in the only lit hallway in the house. Those gathered inside could hear the wind pressing against the exterior of the house and could feel the creeping cold of winter seep under the door. They drew their jackets or sweaters or blankets closer to themselves and settle back against their chairs or beds or walls.<p>

The trainers began to tire and a watch schedule was set up. Misty was the first one to get a chance to sleep. Elle found and threw her a blanket and a pillow and then Misty went into the room with Chiyoko, Jean, Hikaru, and Thomas. She had initially tried to go into the room with Ayoko and Krieg, but they gently requested privacy.

"Are those two... uh, together?" Misty asked.

"No," Elle had answered. "They both like a drink now and then, but Krieg likes to pretend that he doesn't. Most of us help him pretend. Ayoko prefers to help him drink instead."

Those still awake rearranged themselves so that Brock stood guard in front of one door, leaving Elle and Aaron to guard the other. Pikachu was up against the wall snoring, while the other two stood.

At first they stood in silence, but Ash, being the human that he was, started conversing with the other trainer.

"So why did you wear your-" Ash tried to think of the word, but had to settle for a slightly less accurate bit of language, "-fancy clothes on the way here?"

"What? This?" Elle pinched at her clothes. "These look nice, but there's no way I'd travel in actual formal wear. The material for these cloths is far too rough, coarse, and tough to be an actual tuxedo. But it looks nice, most people don't notice that's it's not an actual tuxedo, and it irritates my people like my grandmother."

"Irritated?"

"Bothered," Elle explained.

"Why are they irr-it-ated by your clothes?" Ash asked.

"Their type is either annoyed at the fact that I'm wearing a quality imitation of a tuxedo, namely because of some rather extreme beliefs in propriety, or that I'm a woman wearing a tuxedo which is usually considered men's formal wear."

"Why is it considered men's formal wear?" Ash decided to focus on the second part of her statement so that he wouldn't have to ask for another definition right away. He'd bring up the word propriety with Misty or Brock and get the definition from them later.

Elle shrugged.

"I don't know. You'd have to ask a historian."

"Oh." Ash glanced down. He had to put his thoughts in order; his next question was a bit closer to his heart.

"Um... why do you not like your grandmother? I mean, she didn't seem bad, like you described your family." The orphan asked the woman.

Elle let out a sound that was halfway between a laugh and a sigh.

"What is it with your group and that question?" She said, shaking her head.

"Huh?"

"Your friend Brock asked me a very similar question," Elle explained. "It's a long story that I do not feel like repeating. Suffice to say there were some unpleasant things that occurred."

"Oh," Ash looked down again. "What could..." The boy couldn't find the words to fit the thought he wanted to express.

"What could what?"

"What could she do that was so horrible?"

"She was probably responsible for the... fate of a boy that I was close to," Elle said, staring off into space.

"Probably?" Ash's voice rose a little. "Only probably?"

"I would say surely, but she'd never leave any actual evidence behind. She's far too good for that." Elle almost spat.

"Well if there's no evidence, then how can you know?" Ash asked.

"Because I know her," Elle growled. "I know how awful she can be."

"But she's your grandmother," Ash protested. "If you don't have any actual evidence-"

"What does her being my grandmother have to do with anything," Elle glared at the boy called Aaron.

"It means she's family," the orphan answered.

"Family," Elle almost spat the word. "Kid, maybe family means something different to you, but to me the only two things family means is the root of pain and memories of shared suffering," Elle's voice shook a little and she looked away from the boy. "Bonds of blood? Chains are a form of bonds and very few people are willing to knowingly accept any sort of chain, no matter how benign it may be."

"It's not just a bond," Ash protested, floundering a bit. "I mean, not just a bond of blood. There's the stuff you did together and what you've done for each other."

"And to each other," Elle spat.

"Well yeah," Ash's thoughts briefly drifted to his best friend, who liked to occasionally electrocute him. "But that stuff's small-"

"Not always."

"But you can't know that she-"

"I know her well enough to know that there was no way she wasn't involved."

"But if you don't know for sure, if there's any chance that she wasn't, shouldn't you try and find it before hating her?" Ash's voice began to rise.

"I told you, all the evidence has been destroyed."

"Then give her, uh," Ash tried to remember the phrase, but failed, "if you can't know for certain, then just don't think it was her!"

Elle turned her head.

"I'm done talking to you."

"But-" Aaron protested.

"I'm done," Elle repeated.

"But what's going on is wrong!" Ash protested.

Elle didn't respond.

Ash tried to get her to open up a couple more times before quitting. He sat over by Pikachu, thinking.

Ash knew that what was going on with Elle and her grandmother was wrong. It would've been one thing if there had been evidence proving that she was involved in whatever had made Elle so mad. But there wasn't and Elle was hating a family member whom, from Ash's brief period of observation, she could actually get along with.

Ash was aware that there were certain things that you didn't jump into. Ash was aware that people were complicated. But Ash also knew what it was like to lose a family. Ash knew that family that you could get along, family without any irreconcilable ideological differences, geographical differences, or differences in vitality, was not something that should be thrown away.

Besides, the situation reminded in of Brock's dad in an oblique way. Things had worked out fine there. He'd make sure that they'd work out fine here as well.

He'd need to talk to Chiyoko first. He would need her side of the story- scratch that, he'd need the actual story before he could begin trying to help.

Would he need a plan to get the story out of the old woman? Elle hadn't wanted to talk about it after all.

No, Ash thought to himself. He wasn't good enough with people to do that. He'd just have to ask her.

* * *

><p>Soon it was Aaron's turn to rest while the others stood guard. Of course, him being himself, he had no intention of actually doing that. He sat for a few moments, gathering his thoughts.<p>

He noted to himself that he probably shouldn't let the others catch him doing this. They'd be on his case for not resting, for not preparing. Honestly, Brock and Misty could be overprotective at times. Luckily they were on the other side of the door. Here it was just his gently snoring Pikachu, Thomas and his parents curled together in a large bed, and Chiyoko sitting in a chair, looking down at a hairbrush.

Ash got up and went over to her as quietly as he could. She never looked up, not even when he was right in front of her.

"Excuse me," Ash whispered. The old woman's gaze finally left the hairbrush.

"What is it young man?"

"Um..." Ash took a moment to organize his thoughts. "I was talking to Elle earlier-"

"Please don't call her that," Chiyoko shook her head. "She might be insistent on people calling her by that childish nickname when she is around, but in private you should call her by her proper name, Jessiebelle."

"That's her name?"

"Yes it is," Chiyoko replied. "She started making everyone address her by the moniker of Elle after she started travelling. No doubt she thought that she had 'reinvented' herself, or some such nonsense. Such are the delusions of youth."

"Oh," Ash said noncommittally. "Uh, I was talking to Jessiebelle earlier, about why she- she doesn't get along with you. I wanted to hear your side of the story."

"You're an inquisitive young man," Chiyoko said after a moment of silence. "While that can be a virtue in some situations, this is not one of them. Haven't your parents taught you basic etiquette?"

"They were busy." Being dead.

"Hmmph. I suppose I can humor you." Chiyoko said. "She dislikes me simply because we are similar. It's something that I noticed after her parents died and I took her in. It is only natural that we do not get along as we constantly get in each other's ways."

"I thought there was something that happened?" Ash scratched the back of his head. Their stories weren't matching -

"What?" Chiyoko's voice turned flat and serious.

"She said something about a boy," Ash said, suddenly unsure of himself. This wasn't what he had been expecting.

"No," Chiyoko looked down. Ash thought that the old woman looked suddenly lost. "Don't tell me... She never said anything about... Of course she wouldn't. Not if she had the idea- I thought she was just lashing out, but if she thought that I- Why would she think that in the first place? What cause have I given her-"

Her head snapped back to Ash.

"What did she say to you?" Chiyoko shot up out of her chair and grabbed Ash by the lapels and gave him a shake.

"Nothing! Just that that was a boy involved and you did something bad to him," Ash's voice quickly replied.

"Did she say why she thought this! What makes her think I did that to James!" Chiyoko was shouting now.

"I don't know!"

The door slammed open and the three trainers outside ran in.

"Is everything alright?" Brock asked, looking at Chiyoko and Ash. The old woman had released the boy and returned to her normal posture the instant the door had begun opening.

"Nothing," Chiyoko answered. "Aaron here merely gave me some information I was not previously aware of." Behind her Thomas and his parents were sitting up, having been woken up by the commotion.

Elle and Brock eyed her suspiciously.

"She just seemed surprised and asked me questions," Aaron added, taking a step back.

"Want to enlighten us as to what you were talking about?" Misty inquired, tapping her foot.

"I would actually prefer to be enlightened as to who is standing guard outside the other room," Chiyoko responded, her hand tightening around her wrist and her complexion paler than usual.

The trainers looked at each other, eyes going wide. There was a scramble for the doorway and narrow avoidance of a collision before they spilled into the hallway. Dashing across the carpeted floor the group reached the other room, Brock in the lead. He threw open the door.

There was a bottle of alcohol on its side, by a puddle of its spilled amber contents. Next to that lay Ayoko, staring up at a ceiling with eyes that would never see again. Her persian lay beside her, lifeless, with green foam around its mouth.

"Where's Krieg?" Elle's head swiveled as she spoke, scanning the room in a frenzy.

"He's right there," Misty pointed to the wall on the side of the door, where Krieg lay in a similar position.

Another failure.

* * *

><p>There was shouting between Brock, Elle, Hikaru, and Jean. Ash was curled up in a corner with Pikachu.<p>

Misty leaned against a wall, behind the open door, in the room where Krieg and Ayoko had died. She felt-

Well, actually she didn't feel. Too much had happened recently. There was only a tired numbness.

She let herself slide down the wall, feeling the small imperfections of the polished wood as her bare arms passed over the surface of the wall. The red head sat, staring at nothing. Not thinking about anything. Not paying attention to anything.

That was why she almost missed the sound that came from above her.

_More friends to hug! _

Her world went dark as something wet and slimy dropped on her. She didn't even have time to take a breath.

* * *

><p>AN:You know, since the last chapter was release I've: moved out to my own place, gotten laid off, started job hunting, had some dental surgery done, gotten a crappy job that pays far less, dealt with the holidays, gotten a cat, and resumed job hunting so that I don't have to stay at the crappy place.<p>

I'm surprised that this chapter didn't take longer. The main difficulty is trying to deal with the damn OCs and making sure everyone sounds in character and that's there's at least some variation in speech patterns.

I just cannot wait to get to the end of this arc and then finish up Kanto.

Also, why is everyone harping on the six pokemon limit? The _strict_ limit is just game mechanics and the size of a trainer's team is something that'll probably be addressed later.

Anyway, don't forget to criticize me. Leave a review. Or scream in despair as my mediocrity continues unabated.

I'd like to thank Magnive for beta reading.

:AN


	36. Chapter 36

AN:Disclaimer: I do not own pokemon:AN

* * *

><p>Purple goo wriggled in the dimly lit room as something struggled from within its center.<p>

_My new friend was right! There are a lot of humans to meet here. _

If the other occupant of the room had been able to hear at the moment, then sound without meaning would've reached her ear, noise from the creature.

_It was so nice of him to look for me after I met those tiny humans. He told me that they'd want to see me again and meet their family. _

The struggling began to still.

_This is so much- _

The mass of slime broke apart in a blaze of white light and an explosion of water. Misty was sprawled on her hands and in knees in the epicenter of the explosion. Starmie floated next to her water dripping from its points. Misty shook her head, flinging bits of purple out of her hair and looked up.

"Starmie, Ice Beam!"

_You're grumpy!_ Misty heard noise from the bits of purple goo as they began to crawl, slid, and flow of their own accord. _And that really hurt! You need a nap! I'll wait until you've slept before I hug you again._

White blue light blasted forth from Starmie leaving a swath of ice on the floor as the star shaped pokémon sought to blast the masses. Some were caught and held in the chilling attack, but there were far too many for one pokémon to get.

Misty noticed an air vent in the corner of the room.

"Seal the vent!" She shouted pointing at the spot.

Starmie complied. A beam shot out and with the crunching sound of expanding ice the vent was sealed.

The goo changed directions heading for a seemingly random corner of the room, individual bits coming together into one large mass. An ice beam hot on its metaphorical heels, it seemed like Starmie would stop the creature. But the muk bunched together launched itself upward. Moments later the white blue of Starmie's attacked followed. But it was too late. Misty watched as ice expanded over another vent, just behind the muk.

The other trainers rushed into the room heartbeats later. Ice and purple goo were everywhere, along with bits of broken furniture. Misty stood up, taking deep breathes to calm herself down as adrenaline shakes traversed her body.

"It was a muk," she told the others between breathes, before they could ask. "It managed to get the drop on me. It escaped through the ventilation system."

"A muk?" Brock looked around the room. "But from where?"

Elle's eyes narrowed as she nudged a piece of purple slime with her foot.

"Jena was killed by a muk," she said in a quiet voice.

"What happened?" Chiyoko spoke from the doorway, the other three behind her.

"There was a strange coincidence," Elle answered in a flat voice, eyes still on the purple goo. "Misty was just attacked by what seems to be a muk."

Chiyoko's eyes narrowed.

"Just like Jena you mean," the old woman said, her voice also going flat. "Indeed, that is a strange coincidence." Her gaze turned towards the red haired girl.

Misty had finished calming herself down and recalled her pokémon with a flash of red light. For the moment she wasn't feeling tired anymore and she probably wouldn't for a while. She took a deep breath and faced the group.

"I thought Jena died in an accident?" Misty asked, looking back. Thinking about they had never been told how Jena had died.

"It was an accident with a wild pokémon," Chiyoko answered.

"Or so we thought," Elle added. "But I'm not sure about the 'accident' or 'wild' part anymore."

There was a gasp from Jean behind them. Hikaru strode forward, face hardening into a glare.

"It was you, wasn't it," Hikaru hissed, pointing at Brock, Aaron, and Misty. "You've been picking us off one by one, putting us in traps under the guise of trying to protect us."

"Which one of you has the muk?" Jean's eyes were wide and wild as she looked from face to face. "Which one of you killed my niece?"

"They are not responsible," Chiyoko started to say.

"Of course they are-" Hikaru began to interrupt.

"If they wanted us dead," Chiyoko continued, her sudden change in tone shutting the man up, "they could have easily done it. The oldest boy is a former gym leader who I know has an onix on his person and the girl is the youngest of the Cerulean sisters. They could have simply crushed our home with us within it."

"Then they're trying to hide their involvement," Jean claimed.

"If the League wanted to kill us they have several more efficient ways to do so without suspicion falling on them," Chiyoko said, raising her voice. "If they really wished they could make it seem like we perished in an avalanche. Or a rock slide. Or in a fire caused by a lightning strike. They would not employ such a method as you would accuse them of doing."

"When thinking about those whom you believe might cause you ill," the old woman continued, lowering her voice, "always believe them to be at least as competent as yourself, if not more so. Whoever is doing this to us is most likely not affiliated with the Kanto League."

"Then who's doing this?" Jean asked, no, almost pleaded.

"I don't know," the old woman sighed, looking down. "I just don't know."

* * *

><p>Ash took refuge in an empty bedroom, claiming that he needed space. Brock said that there shouldn't be an issue so long as Aaron let out most of his team to protect him. As luck would have it, that had been the real reason Ash had wanted to slip away, so he readily agreed.<p>

Pokémon sprawled all over the room. Bulbasaur, Squirtle, Primeape, and Magikarp lay on the bed. Charmeleon lay on the floor, belly down, keeping his tail flame away from anything potentially flammable. Pidgeotto perched on a chair. Pikachu stood on Ash's shoulder, who sat in the middle of the room, arms around his knees.

They sat in silence, shifting uncomfortably around an unusually inanimate Ash.

_Well, I ain't been hearing much from inside my pokéball, _Primape eventually broke the silence, _but things round these parts don't seem very good. _

_It's a right mess, _Bulbasaur groaned, _and I think I might have had some bad food recently. I'm feeling awful. _

_I know what you mean, _Charmeleon agreed, _I'm glad that we don't have any training to do. Just the thought of getting up is painful right now._

_That's nice, _Pikachu growled, glaring at the two. _But if things get dangerous you're not sitting on the sidelines. You'll be guarding Ash or I'll-_

_Don't worry, _Bulbasaur said, rolling his eyes, _if push comes to shove we can fight through the pain. But right now we should be worrying about our plan to deal with this situation. What have you got for us Ash?_

Ash didn't say anything.

_Ash?_

_What, sorry, _the human said, shaking his head.

_What's the plan, _Bulbasaur repeated.

_There isn't one, _Ash replied, looking at his feet. _We just wait until we can get out. _

_Then tell us what's bothering you, _Magikarp spoke up. _You hungry? I don't have much meat on me, but if you have Brock cook me right-_

_Shut up, _Pikachu interrupted, glaring at the fish. _But what is wrong Ash? _

The boy shrugged without thinking, causing Pikachu to fight to keep his balance.

_Just this family. I don't get them. _The boy said to his friends.

_What's to get? _Pidegotto said, shrugging her wings. _This is what happens when the chicks stay in the same nest rather than finding new places to roost. There isn't enough food to go around-_

_Shut up, _Pikachu glared at the flying type. _What don't you get about them Ash?_

_Why they don't- _Like each other? Communicate? Try to get along? _- just why they're the way they are. _

_People are people, _Bulbasaur answered. _And family's what you make it to be, who you make it to be, no matter if you're a person or a pokémon._

_But it's usually better with pokémon, _Ash replied.

_Only because dysfunctional pokémon families tend to result in fatalities,_ Magikarp said.

_Shut up Magikarp,_ Pikachu repeated. _People are strange. You know that idiot. _

_Yeah, but not- _Ash sighed. _Nevermind. I guess it doesn't matter. _

_Good idea,_ Bulbasaur groaned. _Try to keep your mind in the moment. _

_In this moment I feel like I might vomit,_ Charmeleon added from the floor. _Ash, can you return me to my pokéball? _

_Another good idea, _Bulbasaur agreed. Ash nodded and twin beams of red light reclaimed the pair.

There was a second of silence.

_Are you sure you're not hungry? _

_Shut up Magikarp. _

* * *

><p>"How are the others?" Misty asked Elle. They were standing outside in the hallway.<p>

After Chiyoko had finished dressing down Hikaru and Jean the older humans had debated on what to do. Elle and Chiyoko had wanted to form parties to hunt the muk down and kill it. Brock had insisted that they instead stay together in one room, with trainers on the inside and on the outside to better defend those who were left. Misty had stayed out of the argument. Eventually it was Jean and Hikaru who decided things, demanding that they stick together so that Thomas would be better defended.

"They're as fine as they could be," the older woman replied. "Jean and Hikaru are having a drink and then going to bed. My grandmother's falling asleep in her chair, and Brock got some of his pokémon out. You sure it's alright to leave Aaron alone?"

Misty nodded.

"His team's pretty big," she explained. "They'll catch anything trying to get at him by dint of numbers alone."

"Ah," Elle said. "So I was wondering, why are you two traveling with him? From what I've heard you've got gym connections and Brock's a gym leader. What's so special about Aaron?"

"Circumstance I guess," Misty answered, shrugging. "He helped me out of a bad situation when we first met and I didn't have a real destination when I set out-"

"The classic problems of young trainers," Elle said, rolling her eyes.

"Well when you're after strength-"

"Power you mean," Elle stated.

"Fine," Misty agreed, not wanting to get into an argument over the differences in connotations. "But there isn't really a clear guide to becoming stronger. So why not wander with someone? I might find the path that fits me best."

"And Brock? Why is he with you two?"

"Pretty much the same reason, but he wants to be a breeder rather than become a stronger trainer." Misty answered, eyes scanning the ceilings and walls. "Aaron was around when his father came back to lead the gym again."

"So coincidence is why you two follow him?" Elle raised an eyebrow.

"Life is strange," Misty replied. "Besides, given the trouble he keeps getting into-"

"He's lucky to have you two with him?"

"Or very unlucky to keep running into those situations," Misty answered. "I guess it depends on how his journey ends."

Elle didn't have anything to say to that. They retreated into silence for a time before concern moved Misty to speak again.

How are you holding up?"

"Well enough," Elle answered, sighing. "I'll probably have a nice breakdown once help arrives."

She looked up.

"I never did like winter."

* * *

><p>It almost seemed like the night lasted forever. In the depths of winter that could be said to be almost true.<p>

Aaron had been recalled to the bedroom for another shift on guard duty and then he and Brock were relieved by Misty and Elle.

Morning wasn't marked by light but rather a lessening of the oppressive darkness that was the characteristic of the season. Outside a storm raged, letting the inhabitants of the building hear the sound of wind pressing against the walls. Those still trying to sleep curled deeper into their blankets, while those still awake rubbed their arms or bits of bare skin to get rid of the goosebumps.

Thomas was sandwiched between his parents, trying to fall back into the warmth of sleep. He pushed his head into the arm cold of his mother.

"Mom, move your arm," he murmured.

There was no response.

"Mom?"

The other sleepers were woken by the piercing wail that came from a boy with almost nothing left. Elle rushed into the room as Chiyoko, Aaron, and Brock threw off their blankets. Thomas was shaking his mother blubbering.

Neither his father nor mother responded to the one sound that was almost guaranteed to make a parent move. Everyone could guess why that was.

"Oh no," Misty rushed in just after Elle and took in the sight, hand coming up to her mouth.

"How could this happen?" Brock shouted, rushing over to the boy's parents. "We were all in here. How could that muk have snuck in-"

"Poison." Chiyoko stated. "I recognize some of the signs. I don't know which, but-"

"How do you know," a growl came from Elle. "Who did you-"

"It's not important," Chiyoko snapped back, grabbing Thomas's shoulders. She pulled him out of the bed. "Get them out of here."

She wrapped her arms around the child and started murmuring comforting words to the distraught boy as she had done with many others during her long life. She whisked him away to a corner. Brock and Elle looked at each other for a moment and then moved to obey.

Ash and Misty watched the bodies being removed, various emotions swirling within. Chains of failure and guilt weighed down on Misty's heart, while Ash began to mourn another orphan.

"Aaron, guard the door," Brock instructed.

Brock and Elle moved the bodies to a re-purposed room, Jean first, followed by Hikaru. Thomas sobbed into Chioko while they worked.

In the other room, the room turned into a morgue, white sheets were draped over the bodies of the previous victims, laid out with some semblance of dignity. Brock and Elle added Hikaru and Jean to their number. They laid the bodies down side by side. Brock closed their eyes. He grabbed a large white sheet and draped it over the two of them.

He turned back to his companion, about to say something, but stopping when he caught sight of her. She was on her knees, slumped up against a wardrobe, her hair fallen around her face. Her head was tilted just enough that Brock could tell that she was looking at the bodies around the room.

"I didn't want this," she said her voice flat. "I wanted to be free of this place, but not like this. It was painful but I didn't hate them. I just wanted to stop suffering. But now they're dead.

"And now that I'll never see them again and-" Her voice began to crack. "-And now there's-" She pushed herself to her feet, still leaning against the furniture.

"It's gone. It's all gone." Her shoulders trembled, face still hidden. Brock approached her. He hesitantly reached out but stopped. Instead he put his hand on her shoulder.

She didn't shake his hand off. They stood together in silence, in the dark with the dead.

* * *

><p>Pikachu paced on all fours in front of Ash who was curled up in a corner of the hallway, by the door where Misty, Chiyoko, and Thomas awaited within. He was guarding the hallway until Brock and Elle finished their job.<p>

He felt the need to stretch. Ash tried to stand but Pikachu growled at him.

_Stay there until Brock gets back, _the yellow mouse glared up at the human.

_Why? _Ash asked, pausing in his movements.

_It's safest that way, _the pokémon answered, before resuming his pacing.

_Here? I mean if that muk decides to attack it might come from above like it did for Misty, _Ash pointed out.

Pikachu paused for a moment, considering his point, and then growled. His cheeks sparked and used a burst of electricity to illuminate the ceiling.

_No vents, so you're safe there and staying there until Brock gets back, _declared the electric type as Ash tried to stand up again. He sparked his cheeks and the trainer slowly sat down, deciding not to debate the point that he had only wanted to get up to stretch.

_You're starting to sound like them you know, _Ash commented.

_With all the danger you get into they've got a point, _Pikachu snarled. _You should let out Primeape and Magikarp so that they can help me guard you._

_I don't think I'm really in that much danger right now, _Ash smiled a little, slumping down.

_Yes, I can see how you would see that, what with the room full of recently dead people! _

_Yeah, but I'm only failing to help stop it, not being targeted, _Ash said, smile vanishing. _They're after Thomas and Elle's family. _

_And yet Misty was attacked! _More sparks flew. _You're in danger. You might not be what they're after, but you're in the line of fire. _

_How is that different than any other time? _Other than the fact that so many people were dead and he couldn't help them. No, people and pokémon had died in other incidents, but he had never had dinner with them all first. And they had died in the heat of battle with no time to mourn until after it was all over.

_Alright, what's up with you? _Pikachu inquired. _You obviously aren't scared but you're still acting strange._

_I thought I was always strange? _

_Quit joking around! _Pikachu snarled. _Now's not the time. Now what's wrong with you? _

_Nothing's wrong with me, _Ash replied.

_I've known-_

_What's wrong with you? _Ash interrupted. _I've known you for most of a year and you don't usually act like this. _

_I'm just being prepared! _Pikachu answered loudly. _There's something out there-_

_That you can't fight, _Ash guessed. _I mean you could handle the muk, but if someone tried to poison me then you couldn't help. And that's why you're acting like you're overcharged. You're feeling helpless and doing this is the only thing that you can control. _

_Well- fine, I don't like feeling this way, _Pikachu admitted, relaxing slightly. _But you're still in danger. And you're not acting right, don't think you've managed to change the subject idiot. I've known you since you began your journey. What's wrong with you? And be honest. _

_I'm just- _Scared of losing my friends and every being close to me, while stuck in a situation where I'm being constantly being reminded of said fear- _I don't know, uncomfortable._

_Fair enough, _Pikachu nodded. _But you've been like this for a while. Since the Safari Zone. _

_Like there's anyone who wouldn't be bothered by that, _Ash shot back.

_Is that what you talked to Bulbasaur about? _

_Pretty much, _Ash sighed. _This really isn't helping matters. _

_Just survive until this is over and then you can get better, _Pikachu went over to Ash and jumped on his shoulder. _Maybe you could tell Brock and Misty-_

_Not the time, _Ash said quickly.

_But being able to openly speak properly could be a big help here, _Pikachu retorted.

_Yes, but sharing that news would cause too much turmoil that could prove to be very dangerous, _Ash answered, mind racing.

Pikachu sighed.

_I guess I don't have any good ideas today idiot, _he slumped down on his trainer's shoulder. _It's the stress. And the lack of electrocuting things. I just want to fry something right now._

_If something needs to be cooked, I'm sure Brock could use your help, _Ash scratched the top of the yellow pokémon's head. _But Brock and Elle are taking awhile. Let's go tell Misty that we're going to go check up on them. _

_Only if you bring out some more of the team to keep an eye out, _Pikachu acquiesced as his trainer stood up.

* * *

><p>Ash's arrival was just enough of a disturbance to shake Elle out of her previous state. She shrugged off Brock's hand and stood straight and tall.<p>

"Uh, is anything wrong?" Ash asked the two.

"No, nothing," Elle replied quietly. "Let's get back to the others. There are some things that need to be done."

"Anything go on that I should know?" Ash asked as they exited.

Brock shook his head.

The three of them made their way back to the bedroom. Inside Misty was peering around the ceiling and bottoms of the walls, looking for any possible sign of the muk sneaking in. Chiyoko was still comforting Thomas in a corner.

"You guys," Elle pointed at the trainers, "take Thomas and get out of here. _Grandmother _and I need to have a little talk."

"I'm afraid we can't do that," Brock put himself between the woman and her grandmother. "It's too dangerous."

"Is that because you're afraid that the killer might strike or that one of us is the killer," Elle asked, glaring at her grandmother.

"It doesn't matter," Brock shook his head as he sidestepped the question. "It's simply too dangerous."

"At this point," Chiyoko interrupted, looking up at Elle. "I don't really care if she is the murderer. Let us talk while we have the chance."

"And if you're the murderer?" Misty asked keeping both in view.

"I somehow doubt I'm capable of that at this age," Chiyoko responded, still looking at Elle.

"Hmmm. You'd be surprised," Brock said, not moving. "I've seen some pretty dangerous old people before."

"I don't care if she is the killer," Elle's voice was hard. "It might make everything so much easier."

"No," Brock's voice grew stony. "That's not going to happen. It doesn't matter who the killer is. If we leave you two alone long enough to have your little 'talk', then it's more than likely that another person will end up dead."

"You don't really have a choice," Elle's hand went to her belt where she kept her pokéballs. "If you don't-"

"We should let them talk," Ash who had been silent thus far finally spoke up. "They need to talk."

"Aaron, stay out of this," Brock snapped at the younger boy. "This-"

"They need to talk," Aaron continued, unfazed. "This might be their last chance. They should take it."

"Completely unaccap-"

"In this situation wouldn't you have wanted to talk to your dad one last time?"

Brock went quiet instantly, mouth still open. He gaped, trying to think of a response before sighing and rubbing his forehead.

"You're right, but I still can't let it happen. I would hope that someone in that hypothetical situation would stop me from doing something like that."

"Do you think Elle's the murderer?" Ash continued.

"I don't know," Brock admitted. "I'm pretty sure that she's not, but I can't be completely certain."

"Do you think Chiyoko is killing her own family?" Ash drove his point further. "People that she helped raise?"

"She wouldn't be the first," but Brock's voice and point sounded weak, even to his own ears. Everyone knew that such things happened out in the world, that such things could happen around them, but to actually accuse another of doing something that horrible-

Well it was one thing to accuse some stranger, or someone that you had suspicions about from the start, but not someone you had got to know, no matter how little, in a different manner. To accuse someone of heinous crimes, without damning evidence, after one had developed some empathy for them was a bit like admitting that one could also commit said crimes.

Sometimes it is said that humans are the real monsters, but one interpretation of that phrase is never brought up; that they are so scary because they can do what no other monsters could, make a person fear themselves.

"Fine," Brock said, letting his hand flop down. "Let's let them talk."

Chiyoko gently pushed Thomas away and towards the trainers. Brock gently took the little boy's hand. Thomas's face was blank and emotionless, his movements almost lifeless as he let others guide him. Brock took him out of the room.

Misty looked at Aaron for a second and then followed. Ash turned to the remaining two. He opened his mouth to say something, but then thought better of it. He too left.

* * *

><p>Jessibelle stared at Chiyoko. Jade eyes met jade eyes, one set locked in a glare, the other set softer with age and resignation. One set trying to challenge the other, to beat them down, to achieve righteous victory. The other set refused to even acknowledge that there was a contest.<p>

"You should start," the older of the two women stated. "Recent revelations have shown that I am critically mistaken in some regards. Given the situation I don't believe there is any need for you to hold back."

"Fine. Let's get started then." Elle stalked over and grabbed Chiyoko by the front of her shirt, pulling her up so that their eyes were level. "I've seen what you do. I've seen what this family does. I've seen what our associates do. I know that you're related to these killings. There's no way that you would have no knowledge about this. So tell me WHY THEY'RE ALL DEAD!?"

She thrust the old woman back against the chair. Chiyoko grunted, but made no other indication that anything had happened.

"Jessibelle, I fear that you have greatly overestimated my capabilities," the old woman replied.

"Tauros-shit," Elle snorted. "I saw what happened to the Woburns. They were trying to stage a hostile takeover of some the families corporate assets in Saffron and then suddenly there's an outbreak of mysterious and fatal illnesses that force them to give up. Gee, I wondered how that could have happened?"

"While I have no special knowledge about what happened to the Woburns," Chiyoko said in a very precise manner, "I sleep more soundly knowing that they weren't able to get their hands on any company that happened to take contracts from Silph Co. They would have used that access to wreak the worst kind of havoc."

"Sure," Elle rolled her eyes. "And the Spencers? Funny how their security forces resign just before there's a League raid on their property that discovers all sort of illegal activities. A raid undertaken because of an 'anonymous' tip-off. Just as they were competing with us over some logging rights. Man, I guess we're just lucky like that."

"I'm sure that the source is sleeping more soundly knowing that they weren't able to hide any illegal activities under the guise of logging, and certainly not so close to one of our homes," Chiyoko folded her hands in her lap.

"And the Ueno's?" Jessibelle continued. "They hire P.I's to sniff around Uncle Renji and suddenly they're under investigation for embezzlement, an investigation that fails to find anything once the P.I's are called off."

"What a fortunate coincidence that was," Chiyoko said, nodding.

"Oh yes, all luck, with nothing to do with you," Jessibelle snarled. "Just like James? Right?"

"N-" Chiyoko tried to speak, but Elle kept going.

"Why let a disgrace like him into the family right?" Her face was twisted in to a rictus of rage. "I mean he was just so 'inappropriate' wasn't he? You certainly said that enough about him."

"I said that about many people," Chiyoko spoke up, but Elle ignored her.

"And of course he was. He didn't act the way he was supposed to. Too feminine. Too flamboyant. Too into pokémon. Too interested in technology." Jessibelle was pacing now, fast and heavy steps, back and forth as she ranted.

"He was young. He would have learned the proper way to conduct himself as he grew." Chiyoko was once again ignored.

"So you either let his family try to 'fix' him or you suggested it yourself in your usual manner. And then when it seems like they're not making enough progress, you kill them all! Save us some face, right?! Kill James-"

"I had nothing to do with James!" Chiyoko shouted, nearly jumping out of her chair.

"Don't you dare lie to me!" Elle roared back, tears in her eyes. "I know that you-"

"You think that I'd really do that to him? To a child? To your friend?" Chiyoko snapped. "You think that I would have let that happen to James if I had known about it?"

"You've orphaned plenty of children!"

"I killed their parents when it was necessary. I never touched their children!" Chiyoko protested. "I did what I needed to do, but it was never necessary to harm children. What is more, James was dear to you. All I wanted was for him to learn the proper way to conduct himself when in public. I never wanted to destroy what he was, who he was to you!"

"But you let it happen!" Jessibelle shouted, arms curling forward on either side. "You let them-"

"If I had any conception about what his family was devising then I would have terminated their plans in a heartbeat!" Chiyoko was beginning to tear up as well. "And when they locked him away I tried to liberate him. I even took you with me to try and convince them that what they were doing was heinous. You remember that day, surely?"

"I- You-" Jessibelle took a step back, eyes widening, shaking her head, going through the memories. She had wondered about the exact purpose of that visit, but she had never asked and the pain was still too raw when she tried to think back on that memory. "No, I-"

"You assaulted his parents, and I think you left some rather impressive marks on them in the process," despite her tears, Chiyoko smirked. "I don't think I ever had a chance to congratulate you on that. Their actions were disgusting, even if they were nothing new. I suppose they at least had the fortitude to perform such actions in their own abode, unlike some in the pre-war days."

"And that just made it worse," Jessibelle clenched her fists and tried to control her tears. "That fire-"

"I had nothing to do with it. Fire is far too clumsy a tool for me to ever use." Chiyoko looked down. "I had been busy trying to find some legal way to remove James from their care. You might remember that meeting I held between our lawyers and the social workers? There was some commotion about their state of dress if I recall correctly. I was preparing to finalize a course of action when we received the news."

"No, no, no... it has to be you. You have to be the one who did it." Jessibelle was backing up now, shaking her head. Beliefs that she had held onto for years, the anger that had sustained her and shaped her, the motivations that had driven her, all were being called into question. She was breaking.

"After the fire," Chiyoko continued, "when you started to change, I was proud. You had decided to do something that was not easy entirely out of your own prerogative and you stuck to it. It is true that in doing so you became more arrogant, more controlling, and less social, but I went through a similar experience at your age. I had always seen something resembling myself in you and after James' death it had come to the fore of your personality."

"I thought," the old woman choked back a sob, "I thought you were just maturing, finding your own path in life. I thought that you were just growing up and defining yourself. The fact that you were so reluctant to talk to any of your relations was worrisome, but nothing that was worth undue panic. You were supposed to have come back in your own time and I could have begun grooming you to take my place in keeping our family safe and together."

"No," Elle said quietly shaking her head.

"Oh yes," Chiyoko nodded. "But it turns out that you have yet more evidence that I am not omniscient and I find that I have been very mistaken about you."

"Why couldn't you tell?" Jessibelle's world had been turned upside down. Fact was now fiction and she was lost. She was clutching for something, anything to help her get to her feet and find her bearings. So first she tried to latch onto the crumbling image of her all-knowing grandmother.

"Why didn't you ever accuse me?" Chiyoko shot back. "Why did you just run away?"

"I didn't just run away!" Yes, an argument where Elle felt like she had some firm ground would help. "I left to become something better than I was. I went out in the world to become powerful and help people. I saw suffering and I helped stop it! It might not have been much, but it was more than I ever had at home!"

"You call us home, but if I had let you have your way, then you would have never returned," Chiyoko replied. "What else could I call such behavior other than running away? I had thought you needed space to grow-"

"Space away from all those stares and whispers!" Anger, yes anger was safe and familiar. "Space away from those judgmental fucks!"

"They're all dead," Chiyoko said quietly. "Most of them were dead before this winter. Would it have been so bad to show them so small kindness before they went?"

"Kindness none of them ever offered!"

"Oh, so your aunt Taoko, your uncle Hubert, Ayoko, and your cousin Terry never offered you kindness?"

"They were the minority! It was foolish for them to stay!" Elle shouted.

"It was foolish for them to stick by their family! To balance trying to help them with their own pursuits!" Chiyoko was yelling back.

"Yes! No! I don't know." Jessibelle looked down. "I don't know. They might have survived if they had."

"It was not belonging to this family that was the cause of their deaths, at least not in the manner that you are thinking," Chiyoko said, lowering her voice back to a level suitable for conversation. "No, most of them died for their beliefs. Some did so on the field of battle, some from overworking themselves, and some from simple bad luck."

"And some were killed by their own family members," Elle spat bitterly.

"Don't forget that they killed some of the family as well," Chiyoko responded. "But both sides were willing to risk their lives on the field of battle. Should the identity of the one who did the deed in such a place matter? So long as the conflict is left out on the field, then-"

"They'll simply sneak the conflict back in so that it can be a festering poison!" Elle countered.

"I have never permitted anyone to bring their conflicts home," Chiyoko rebutted.

"And yet they managed to find a way to do so!" Her rage was in full swing now. "I probably would have never realized how awful we are if they hadn't. Most of those dead men and women hated what I was doing! Not because of any sensible reason, but because of some stupid cause and some history that's best left forgotten! You shouldn't even have tried! "

"What would you have me do?!" Chiyoko defended herself. "Side with one group over another? Turned it into a war within the family? Destroyed one of the sides? Is that what you would've had me do instead?"

"You could have just let them split apart!"

"And how would the end result be any different from any of the scenarios I described? Did you want to kill them?"

"No!" Jessibelle's expression quickly became one of horror. "Never!"

"Then what would you have had me do?" Chiyoko demanded. "What?!"

"Something other than what you did! Something that didn't make everyone either miserable or dead!"

"And you think I didn't look for a way!" This time it was Chiyoko who was struggling with her tears. "You think I wanted this end! I tried to avoid it! Before now I had nightmare about this coming true! And after today I will have nightmares about how it came true! And you have apparently been hiding some wondrous solution from me, at least from the way you keep critiquing me. So what is it? What should I have done!"

"I don't know!" Elle shouted back. "I don't know" Her voice went quieter. "I'm sorry, but I just don't know."

Silently they stood in the dim room for long minutes dealing with their churning emotions.

"Is this the part where I apologize?" Jessibelle asked the older woman, voice quiet and eyes trained on the floor.

"It wouldn't go amiss," Chiyoko replied with a shrug.

"Then I'm sorry I broke your mauve vase when I was nine."

"That's alright. It was hideous anyway."

Both let out barks of laughter tainted by tears not shed.

"We are both fools," Chiyoko said, rubbing at her eye. "Two foolish peas in a pod."

"Yeah, we're pretty big idiots," Jessibelle admitted, also wiping away a tear. Another moment of silence.

"I would like to hear about some of your ventures when this is all over," Chiyoko stated. "I feel that I have gone too long without hearing them."

"Yeah, I wasted plenty of time too," Elle agreed. "You've probably got some stories I'd love to hear as well."

"There are plenty that I was saving until you were old enough to properly appreciate them," Chiyoko replied with a smirk. "It's too bad that you stopped talking to me before you turned sixteen. I have several stories that would have changed how you viewed certain relatives."

"We'll have plenty of time to swap stories when this is all over," Elle's face now sported a wan grin. "We should probably go join the others."

"That would be prudent," Chiyoko agreed. Elle offered her a hand and helped the older woman out of her chair. They headed to the doorway together.

* * *

><p>"That was less violent that I woulda guessed," Misty commented when the two Umagoyas left the room. The other four had been clustered together in the hallway. Brock had been doing his best to comfort Thomas. His skill with children was trying to overcome the obstacle of unfamiliarity and only partially succeeding. Thomas was rapidly becoming a catatonic wreck.<p>

"I'm back, don't worry," Chiyoko said in a soothing tone to the boy, taking him from Brock's arms. She continued to whisper soothing nothings to him.

"We need a plan," Elle stated, her eyes going hard, mouth drawing into a determined frown. "We can't just keep hunkering down and waiting for help."

"It's safest if we stick somewhere defensible," Brock answered, moving to face her directly. "Or at least it should have been. I agree to the point that we can't keep going forward blind. But I don't think we should abandon sticking to defensible positions. Most of the deaths occurred because-"

"Of a lack of trust," Chiyoko interrupted. "If they had been more trusting of you and Elle then there would have been someone standing guard inside the rooms. But, said lack of trust may have been justified, given what happened to my great grandniece and her husband."

"You think they might have done it?" Elle asked, turning to Chiyoko and raising an eyebrow.

"I am not a professional investigator so I will make no suggestions or claims," Chiyoko answered. "Someone in this mansion, whether they are hidden in plain sight or out of sight, has managed to gain access and intelligence that would require some at least some prior knowledge of this location. One of the servants may have slipped back in. One of the servants may have been replaced and impersonated. One of the family or the help may have been bribed into giving away the blueprints of this structure or intelligence about the behaviors of our family. Aaron there may be a nom de guerre to lull the gym leaders and the League into a false sense of security so that he may travel and do what he wishes with little interference."

Aaron fortunately had no idea what 'nom de guerre' meant and thus was saved from an awkward reaction that might have started a lot of commotion.

"In any case it would be prudent that, no matter what we end up doing, that we stay together," Chiyoko continued.

"Agreed," Brock nodded.

"We'll be slower then," Elle protested. "We'll give the killer more room to maneuver."

"And if we split up, we give the killer more chances to pick us off one by one," Misty pointed out.

"They haven't shown a problem with that so far," Elle glanced back at the room where the corpses were kept. Wait, wasn't that-

The entryway door slammed open and something hissed out of the darkness beyond. Everyone had already started moving, Misty tackled Aaron down, Brock moved to grab Chiyoko and Thomas, and Elle started rushing towards the door. There was a small thud, a brief gurgle, and then bodies were hitting the floor.

Ash tried to get up, but Misty pushed him down as she looked back to assess the threat. Nothing came through the doorway and the sound of running feet could clearly be heard.

"Get back here!" Elle roared. White light blazed as she released her three pokémon. "KILL!" The red haired woman shouted the command while pointing into the hallway. Dirty orange light shone, leaves whistled through the air, and a delcatty hissed as Elle's comrades obeyed.

"Stay down," Misty ordered Aaron, getting up and reaching for her own pokéballs. "Elle, don't be an idiot! Get back here!" More light blazed as Misty released her own pokémon and rushed to the doorway.

Elle had already disappeared from sight by the time Misty and her team looked out into the hallway. The girl turned back to the others.

"Is everyone alright back there?" She called back.

"I'm fine," Brock said, picking himself up, looking over at the two he had shoved out of the way. "How about-"

He fell silent when his eyes saw the trio of slim sliver white needles sticking out of Chiyoko's throat. A trickle of liquid leaked out of the corner of her mouth, crimson edging on black in the dim light, staining her pale cheeks as it traveled towards the floor and the gravity of cold earth far below.

Thomas whimpered once and then fell silent.

"Crap, crap, crap," Brock said, scrambling to check Chiyoko's vitals. "Misty, grab the kid."

No pulse in the old throat. Nothing in the wrists. No sounds from the chest. No breath. The old woman was dead.

"Thomas? Thomas? Talk to me!" Misty said, grabbing the child and pulling him close. "It's been too long since those first aid courses- Brock do you know if there's a risk that he could go into shock?"

"Not that sort of shock, no," Brock replied, looking up. "Aaron I need you to- Aaron? Where'd he go?"

* * *

><p>Elle wasn't the only one who chased after the killer.<p>

Ash was not a person who could hide away during trouble, sitting in the darkness and doing nothing. At the very least he had to be learning, planning, preparing to take action. Add in more death, one of the very things that going to the human world was supposed to help him avoid, seeing people lost and watching a broken family be destroyed, and it was easy to see why he might act rashly.

Of course Pikachu called him an idiot and after a minute or so of running through hallways, trying to track Elle and the fleeing party by noise and signs of destruction Ash started to agree with him. What was worse was that he was lost.

_Head back to Brock and Misty! _Pikachu shouted. _It's not safe for you out here! _

_Well it's not safe for Elle either, _Aaron hissed back, using his innate stubbornness to hide his insecurity due to being locationally challenged. He hated trying to navigate human habitats, he really did sometimes. _And we can take that murderer down and make this whole place safer for everyone! _

_Fine let me track her then, _Pikachu said. _I can sniff her out. _

_You'll just try to lead me back to Brock and Misty, _Ash protested.

_No, if I try that you're just going to run off again, _Pikachu pointed out. _I want this over with too. We should be able to take him if we find him rather than the other way around. We don't want to get ambushed. _

_Alright, lead the way! _

Their journey continued down the dark hallways with winter tinged windows, with the wind pressing on the walls, pockmarks marking sites of battle, the occasional scream of pain or bellow rage signaling that the battle was still continuing. The path twisted and turned, a chaotic mess of scents, and then it-

Split?

_How does that work? _Ash asked his pokémon.

_I don't really know, _Pikachu said, sniffing the air some more. They were at the intersection of two halls, and the scent trail had split in three. _I know I'm not the best when it comes to tracking by scent, but I didn't think I was this bad. Where did you hear sounds from last? _

_I think it was that direction, _Ash answered, pointing down the left hallway.

_Alright, let's go. _

They continued for a short while until they came to another doorway, one that seemed familiar.

_Isn't this where we-_ Pikachu began.

_Went outside to train, _Ash finished. _Well, at least we'll know the terrain. _

_You mean flat and snowy? _Pikachu snarked as Ash turned the knob.

Wind whipped against their bare faces the instant they went outside. Snow was still falling, less than the white out from earlier, but still creating a veil over the landscape. Ash grabbed his pokéballs and cast them out. Light blazed and then his team was out and ready to fight.

"Follow me," Ash commanded, rushing out into the wind. "Pikachu, show me the way."

It turned out that they didn't have far to go. Before the mansion was lost in the falling snow they came across a figure, tall and dark, clutching their longcoat about them for warmth as they strode away from the mansion.

"Hey!" Ash shouted. "Stop right there asshole!"

"Asshole?" The voice called back over the wind. "How rude of you young man. But that is to be expected from your earlier behavior."

"What-" Ash said to himself. That voice sounded familiar. But it couldn't be- "Impossible"

"As the great sage once said, " Krieg turned around to face Ash, "Impossibility is merely a matter of perspective. Something that I'm sure you lack."

* * *

><p>AN: I'd like to thank Magnive for beta reading this.<p>

Who am I and what have I done with ConstructiveWriter? Symbiosis never updates in a semi-timely manner! If I don't tell me what I did to them, I don't want to know what I'll do!

On a more serious note, once more I find myself regretting some of my earlier choices in regards to this story. Not really much about the subject matter, but more about the format, something that I'll change heavily when Kanto completes and the sequel moves to the Orange Islands (and it'll be nice to take a break from the dark stuff after this arc). Though before I do that I should revise some of the earlier chapters. Oh, and me occasionally being hamfisted with certain descriptions, the occasional needlessly convoluted plot, and a few other poor choices.

Review. I need the criticism. I need to know why my writing is twisted and terrible enough to summon dread horrors from beyond time and space before the stars are right.

But seriously, I need criticism.

:AN


	37. Chapter 37

AN:Disclaimer I do not own pokémon

Don't be surprised if this undergoes heavy revision within the next month or so

EDIT: Minor revisions and a section added near the end.

:AN

* * *

><p>Flakes of snow continued to fall between the two humans as they started at each other in a silent still moment. Ash's hands twitched towards his belt as his eyes bore into the murderer.<p>

Krieg merely grinned.

"Where's Elle?" Ash was the first to break the silence. He looked around for any sign of the woman that he had met.

"She won't be joining us I'm afraid," Krieg answered. "I dropped in on her earlier, back inside, and unfortunately she's become quite indisposed..."

* * *

><p>Something was fading.<p>

It might have been the world, growing colder and darker, leaving her behind.

Or maybe it was her leaving the world, taken away by the wound in her gut and the poison now in her veins.

In the end, did it matter? Either way everything would be gone.

Everything she had strode for, everything she had accomplished, every friend and enemy she had met, every memory she had made, and every mistake too. Gone.

And no one to say goodbye either. Just a dark hallway and a cold wall.

Fitting, giving the mistakes she had made.

She hadn't been there for James when it counted and she had pushed everyone else away, even when they didn't deserve it. So it was only natural for her to die alone.

There was a whine from her left. She turned her head, and that took more effort then it should have, and saw a shape dragging itself towards her. Her hand, so heavy now, reached out, and touched Growlie's blood soaked fur.

"Oh. I'm sorry boy." She tried to say the words loudly, clearly, but her voice came out as a whisper. "I guess I wasn't a very good trainer."

Another whine. Her arm was gently pushed back and a mass of warm fur leaned against her side.

"Yeah. I could have handled that better. I could have handled a lot of things better." Elle sighed. Even breathing was getting difficult. "At least I managed to fix somethings. I hope that grandma will be okay. She's going to blame herself for this."

She paused.

"I'm sorry Growlie. I should have taken better care of you," she said, slowly, between breathes. "I'm sorry, Delcatty, Vileplume, you deserved better then this."

Another pause. It was getting harder to talk. Was it too dark to see or had she lost her sight?

"And James," her voice was almost too quiet to be heard. "I'm so, so... very... sorry..." Elle's voice trailed off, leaving the hallways in near silence, except for two sets of breathes.

Soon one faded. The other one followed shortly.

* * *

><p>"Why?" Ash asked.<p>

"Why what?" Krieg's grin never left his face.

"You're the murderer. Why did you kill them?" Ash asked. "And while we're at it, how did you survive? You were dead!"

"Oh, death can be such a hard thing to ascertain," Krieg replied. "If someone were to ingest certain poisons they would be put into a state that is very hard to differentiate from death. As anyone with my knowledge of poisons could tell you."

"Why then!" Ash cried out. "Why did you kill them?"

"Why shouldn't I have?" Krieg asked in response. "They were without hope. Their future had been diminished to the point of vanishing. Most of their kin were already dead. And what little hope they had was improperly stewarded. I was merely doing my duty in putting them out of their misery."

"You're lying!" Ash didn't believe that anyone would be willing to kill people they knew for such a cold and empty reason. Not while seeming so cheerful and calm.

Ash came from a world where acquaintances did occasionally kill each other. But it was always out of the brutal necessities of survival and the end was always a nova of passion and desperate struggle. This cold blooded killing was something new, something he never would have imagined. There must have been some other reason!

There must have.

"Oh? Such an accusation." Krieg's tone still didn't change. Still calm. Still cheerful. Still condescending. Like he was lecturing a silly child. "Besides, it was not I who was responsible for most of the deaths back there. It was my new friend Muk."

"Your pokémon killed them on your orders. You're still the murder." Ash shot back. It was a basic legal fact, nearly universal both before and after the Great War.

"Oh, you think Muk killed them?" Krieg's smile grew. "Nonsense. I'm sure that they merely fell asleep. Like Jena."

"Jena died," Ash said, after a moment of trying to remember who Jena was.

"Well, that's not what Muk thought, according to my pokémon," Krieg continued, his smile sickeningly large.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, from what my pokémon managed to communicate, Muk thought that Jena was merely napping," Krieg explained. "I'm sure Muk would never harm anyone. He merely wanted to meet some new people."

"Wait..."

"Yes," Krieg's grin grew until it reached its full sickening glory. "Muk here," he held up a pokéball in his upturned palm, "didn't know that he was killing people. Isn't that right Muk?" The question was addressed to the pokéball. It started wobble and Krieg gripped it as though he was trying to crush it. "Yes Muk. It is true. You killed them. First you killed that child with the sunflower in her hair. And then I found you." He threw back his head and laughed. "And then you killed and killed and killed! You killed, wallowing in your own hurtful, sickening ignorance. How very human of you!"

He threw the ball up in the air, watching it rise.

"Go now, you're free to continue making your own fatal mistakes!" The priest backhanded the ball, sending it behind him, flying off into the blizzard.

"You tricked him?" Ash growled, hands curling into fists. "Why? What was the purpose?"

"What purpose is there to anything?" Krieg turned back to the boy. "I doubt that you could understand the purpose of the simplest of things, let alone what has transpired here. Your actions have not shown me evidence of anything other than a rash and simple mind. The mind of a boy who would rush out to confront me and leave his friends behind."

"They'll be here soon enough," Ash shot back. "You're not getting away."

"Oh," Krieg drawled, clasping his hands behind his back. "I suppose they'll be able to follow your exact route then. Otherwise they might not be able to join us."

"What do you mean?" Aaron asked, a shot of worry piercing through the rage.

"Well, you see, I had prepared a plan for my fight with Jessibelle. Many plans in fact." Krieg explained. "I had my pokémon planting traps all over the mansion before I revealed myself. Small deadly traps. I'm afraid, that if your friends try to follow us, they might end up in an... unfortunate situation."

* * *

><p>Brock slumped back from the body of the old woman.<p>

"She's gone," he said, wiping his brow. He looked back at Misty who was holding Thomas. The boy's eyes were closed; it seemed that the day's events had taken their tole on him and he retreated into the refuge of sleep. "Where's Aaron?"

"I don't know," Misty hissed back. "He hasn't come back and I can't exactly go look for him and keep an eye on the kid."

"Fine, you stay here with the kid and I'll go after him," Brock replied, grabbing a pokéball. "Get your pokémon out. Don't panic if you feel the building shake, it just means I've brought out Onix."

"Careful, it's probably a trainer who uses poison types," Misty warned, thinking back on the muk and the Poison Sting attack that had killed Chiyoko.

"Then I've got type advantage," Brock growled. "He'll regret showing himself, I'll make sure of that."

Misty wasn't so sure that he would show himself. She knew a bit about how poison type trainers operated.

She had an idea, but it probably wasn't worth talking about...

* * *

><p>Ash was sick of Krieg's mouth. He grabbed two pokéballs.<p>

"Primeape! Take him down!" White light blazed in the winter night, casting long shadows onto the snow. Primeape materialized in mid leap, grabbing Magikarp in mid air, soaring towards a still smiling, still motionless Krieg.

Behind them a dark shape took to the air. There was the sound of wingbeats and suddenly something slammed into Ash's pokémon before they could get close to the murderous priest. Primeape went tumbling away and Ash recognized the shape as a golbat. Before he could do anything he heard a sound coming from behind him.

_Dodge idiot! _Pikachu kicked himself off the side of Ash's head, causing the human to stumble. There was the noise of Pikachu colliding with something while Ash fell to a hand and knee to look behind him. Pikachu had launched himself into a long dark shadow that had burst out of a hole in the ground, spraying snow all about it in its sudden exit. Pikachu's attack knocked it off course and the carried the two back towards the mansion. In the seconds it took for them to move closer to the light source Ash noticed the pokémon's fangs and purple skin, recognizing it as a seviper.

"Pikachu Speed Burst! Don't let it get you!" Ash shouted, panic starting to set in. He reached down and grabbed three more pokéballs. Three more pokémon materialized, Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charmeleon.

_Dodge! _Bulbasaur shouted, stumbling as he tried to follow his own advice.

Silver specks streamed through the night, gleaming in the dim light that revealed them to be silver needles. A Poison Sting attack peppered the area, as the three pokémon and one human dodged. There was a whistling sound and Squirtle ducked into his shell on instinct. Slicing leaves cut across his shell and Squirtle recognized the Razor Leaf attack.

Yet more white light blazed, this time by Krieg. Out came a tentacruel and a nidoqueen.

"Water Gun the charmeleon," Krieg ordered calmly.

"Dodge!" Ash shouted. "Squirtle, Pikachu, counter together if you can!"

_Bit busy here! _Pikachu shouted back. Yellow light shone and electricity buzzed as the yellow mouse tangled with the snake.

The seviper was good, very good. Fighting it in the dark was like fighting a shadow; hard to see and impossible to touch. It dove in and out of the snow, burrowing into the ground to avoid Pikachu's attacks and popping up randomly to attack the rodent. Pikachu's attacks left trails of steaming snow as his electricity sought the snake.

Charmeleon tried to scramble to his feet, but whatever had been affecting him earlier made the task akin to gaining one's balance in a spacecraft tumbling into the atmosphere. A powerful jet of water drilled into his shoulder, stripping away skin and sending him spinning back to the ground.

Squirtle popped his head out of his shell and blasted back with his own high pressured stream. There was an explosion of mist, sending droplets of water all over the battlefield. More leaves sliced through the air while Squirtle was distracted and bounced off the back of his shell, leaving shallow cuts along the rear of his head. He let out a hiss of pain, spinning to face the source.

"Go Pidgeotto! Find the plant type over there!" Ash released his flying type and pointed. She let out a caw and winged over towards the area he indicated.

"Stunky Poison Sting! Nidoqueen, Poison Sting! Take down that bird. Tentacruel, Water Pulse that Charmeleon! Golbat, Seviper, stay on your current targets, keep them busy." Krieg's reacted instantly. More silver needles streamed into the night, forcing Pidgeotto to roll out of the way of the speeding spikes.

Pulses of water cut troughs through the snow, bursting on Charmeleon, staggering him around like a drunken fool. Tentacruel paused in the barrage for a moment and blasted out an aqua orb, twice as large as any before it, streamlining into an exaggerated drop shape. It exploded on Charmeleon's chin, knocking him on his back. Snow sizzled and steam rose up from where his tail fell.

"Bulbasaur, get that tentacruel!" Ash ordered. "Squirtle, just keep the pokémon behind us busy. Just focus on defense. Pidgeotto, try and help Pikachu!"

"Nidoqueen, Poison Sting the bulbasaur! Tentacruel, Acid Spray, slow down that flying type!"

The nidoqueen smoothly switched targets, needles shifting from the air to Bulbasaur, who used his vines to push himself off the ground and out of the way. Meanwhile the tentacled pokémon pointed its beak to the sky. A yellow-red spray of liquid was released, cutting a path in front of Pidgeotto. The flying type banked sharply right, avoiding most of the attack.

But her left wing was covered in burning drops of acid and she let out a screech of pain. She corkscrewed into the ground, plowing through the snow. Without coming to a complete stop Pidgeotto rolled to her feet and took wing once again, each stroke burning and wrenching, but not enough to keep her out of the air.

All of Ash's pokémon were out. The battle was joined.

Ash struggled to keep up with events as pokémon ran and attacks were exchanged. Events started to spiral towards chaos.

The battle continued, and not in Ash's favor. He knew he couldn't afford to hold back anymore.

_Charmeleon, get back to the mansion and find the pokémon attacking us at a range! _Ash commanded. Charmeleon nodded and growled, scrambling to his feet and towards the mansion.

"Code? A foreign language?" Krieg chuckled as he observed the fire type's movements. "Clever young man, clever. But it won't be enough. Tentacruel, Water Gun the charmeleon! Nidoqueen, cover her."

_Pikachu, buy yourself some time and use Thunderbolt on the tentacruel! _Ash ordered. _Bulbasaur, keep that nidoqueen occupied with razor leaf. Pidgeotto, if you can, help Primape and Magikarp. Squirtle, stay safe and be ready to help Pikachu!"_

"Nidoqueen, defend me and Tentacruel," Krieg said, and then waited, and watched as Ash's pokémon followed their trainer's orders.

Pikachu unleashed a series of Thundershocks that forced Seviper to retreat away from the mouse and back into the ground. Squirtle ducked into his shell and lay on the ground, observing Pikachu through the hole. Bulbasaur fired off a series of sharp green leaves at nidoqueen. Pidgeotto soared over to Primeape, who was valiantly fending off the golbat with Magikarp. Charmeleon tripped as he tried to make his way towards the mansion, narrowly missing the jet of high pressure water that Tentacruel sent at him.

Nidoqueen crossed her arms in front of her face, growling as the leaves cut into her flesh. Golbat was force to flap up to try and deal with the wounded flying type's assault, gaining altitude to escape the wings, talons, and beak. Pikachu prepared his attack, glowing yellow for a brief instant, just enough of a warning for Nidoqueen to throw herself in front of Tentacruel. Pikachu's lance of electricity harmlessly earthed itself in the poison/ground type pokémon.

"Stunky, Poison Sting the pigeotto. I want that bird down. Roselia cover everyone with Razor Leaf. Nidoqueen, Poison Javilin that primeape!"

Nidoqueen threw back her head as she prepared her attack. Bulbasaur tried to take a shot, but was interrupted by a brace of razor leaves in the back of his bulb. Instinct took over and he spun around to fire his own spread back.

_Primeape watch that nidoqueen!_ Ash shouted.

Primeape dodged, and a lance of silver flashed past. He hissed and clamped his free hand down on an angry red line that glancing attack had left.

"Golbat, get the Primeape!" Krieg ordered.

_Pikachu thunder-_

"Seviper, attack!" The snake struck the distracted Pikachu, who was positioning himself to respond to Ash's command. Long fangs scraped along his yellow side, depositing poison. Pikachu shrieked and shocked, sending electricity coursing into the purple pokémon. Seviper was thrown back, writhing in pain as he flew. Pikachu fell forward, curling into a fetal position. He could feel the unpleasant sensation of Seviper's poison, spreading from the scratches. It wasn't enough to put him out of the fight, but it was a significant and painful handicap.

Pidgeotto shrieked as a Poison Sting attack clipped her already damaged wing. There was the rushing roar of flames and orange flames illuminated the mansion roof, above the single lamp, revealing a purple skunk like pokémon and a bipedal green pokémon with three spikes on its head and flowers for hands. A stunky and roselia.

_Squirtle, Water Gun that stunky! _Ash shouted. _Charmeleon, Flamethrower that Roselia! Primeape- _

_Give me a sec! _The fighting type was ducking and dodging as Golbat attacked, swooping and diving to attack, constantly harassing Primeape with both physical and sonic attacks. Magikarp tried to flop closer, to aid Primepae, but the Golbat made sure to keep the two apart.

_Bulbasaur, keep Razor Leaf up on the Nidoqueen and Tentacruel, _Ash continued. _I don't want to see anymore long range attacks from them! _

_If I can! _Bulbasaur growled through gritted teeth. He could feel himself growing sicker and weaker. With a sound that was a mix of grunt and roar the plant type began to unleash a barrage of sharp greenery. Leaf after leaf cut through the air, slicing into Nidoqueen who still guarded Tentacruel, and Krieg, who was making sure to stand behind the large pokémon.

An idea struck Bulbasaur.

_If Pikachu's up to it, have him arc a Thunderbolt around the nidoqueen and hit the trainer! _

_Or a Thundershock! _Ash said, thinking of an attack less likely to be lethal. _Pikachu! _

"Wait a moment," Krieg's eye's narrowed. "Did you-? No, you couldn't have."

_I'll try! _Pikachu shouted back, pushing himself up.

_Boss, it sounds like he's speaking properly! _Tentacruel shouted. She turned to Nidoqueen. _How do we charade that? _

_Worry about that after the battle, _Nidoqueen grunted, taking more Razor Leaves on her arms.

Water rushed and flames billowed as Squirtle and Charmeleon attacked Krieg's pokémon stationed on the roof. Roselia ducked and huddle back, letting the flames pass over her. Stunky sidestepped Squirtle's attack and spat a Poison Sting attack back. Squirtle countered with another burst of water, blasting away the center of the attack, but not all of it. Two needles embedded themselves in Squirtle's arm. He grimaced and yanked them out.

Meanwhile Pikachu scrunched his cheeks and sent out several tendrils of electric power. They arced out and around, converging on Nidoqueen and Krieg. But as soon as she saw Pikachu scrunch his cheeks, Nidoqueen had been moving. She stuck her tail straight out and knocked Krieg backwards. Pikachu's electricity converged on empty air.

"You can understand his code?" Krieg asked, picking himself up. "I'm not much one for flights of fancy, but now I can't help but wonder..."

_Pikachu again! Keep at it! _Ash shouted.

"Roselia, pay attention to that Pikachu!" Krieg ordered at the same time. "I don't want that happening again. Stunky, don't worry about hitting Golbat, he's resistant, the other flying type is not! Tentacruel, Water Pulse that Squirtle!"

A series of Water Pulse attacks sped over the snow, aimed at Squirtle who tried to dodge. His failure resulted in an explosion of water and a dazed water type.

"Seviper, attack that Squirtle!" Krieg ordered.

_Pidgeotto, help Primeape again. Bulbasaur, Squritle, Charmeleon, keep your targets busy. Pikachu, keep an eye out for Seviper. _Ash ordered. _Everyone, be ready to change targets! _

Night was repeatedly broken by fire and lighting, snow sizzling and steaming as the pokémon fought. Cries of rage and pain filled the air as attacks landed on their targets. Leaves cut, water tore, and needles stung. Flesh thudded against flesh and humans shouted orders in two tongues.

Ash tried trick after trick. He tried having his team suddenly switch targets, Charmeleon sending a fireball at Nidoqueen, Bulbasaur firing Razor Leaf at Roselia, and Squirtle blasting at Stunky. He tried to have Squirtle and Pikachu combine attacks on the fly, hoping to take out Seviper or Tentacruel. He tried to entrap Golbat in Pidgeotto's Gust Bullet, blind Stunky with Pikachu's Flash, surprise Nidoqueen with an attack from Primeape, and more.

It didn't work. The battle was slipping away from him, no matter what he tried.

In the end-

He. Just. Wasn't. Good. Enough.

Krieg's pokémon blocked, dodged, and weaved, entirely on the defensive. Ash and his team continuously failed to land an attack, but Krieg and his team had quit trying to go on the offensive.

After all, there was no more reason for them to try. Each of Ash's pokémon was slowing. Their movements were growing more sluggish, their attacks were weakening and falling shorter and shorter. There was no need for Krieg to fight anymore.

It was the classic strategy of poison type trainers. Inflict a simple wound and then let their toxic power slowly drag the enemy down. A single wound could prove deadly without an antidote.

And there was no time to disengage and receive one.

Pikachu was the first to stumble and fall. Weaving webs of electric fury, he was trying to hem in the golbat and ward off the seviper. The snake like pokémon hid under the earth and the golbat dodged, soaring between attacks, spinning and rolling, and climbing to avoid being caught. Pikachu's web grew tighter and tighter as his cries grew louder. Golbat managed to slip away and Pikachu decided not to let him.

He emptied his lungs into a war cry and through everything into the attack. The night turned yellow for a moment and a singed golbat spun through the air. It recovered and managed to bank upward and avoid the snow.

Pikachu stood still for a moment. He fell forward and didn't move.

_Pikachu! _Ash shouted.

Primeape was next. With Pikachu gone there was no one to keep the seviper occupied. Krieg's pokémon burst out of the ground behind him, fangs sinking into the fighting type's flesh. Primeape howled and lost his grip on Magikarp. Seviper slapped the fish pokémon with its tail and slammed it into the ground. Magikarp lay still.

Pidgeotto's agility was been clipped by the injuries on her wings. It wasn't long before a Poison Sting attack took her down. Her wings were not strong enough to return her to the air. She fluttered on the ground under hit by a tackle from the nidoqueen.

Bulbasaur struggled to stay on his feet, caught between a growing number of cuts and the effects of the poison. Razor Leaf after Razor Leaf was exchanged with the pokémon on the roof, his limbs growing feeble all the while. He used his vines to prop himself up under the assault. He lasted until two leaves cut his vines and a Poison Sting hit his back. He could fight no more.

Squirtle deflected attack after attack off his shell, blasting away at all the incoming attacks. But there were too many too fast. Water Pules, Razor Leaves, Poison Stings, sonic assaults, all came. He eventually went down, a trickle of blood coming from the corner of his mouth.

Charmeleon was last. He stood alone against a horde of enemies attacking from range. His flames burned bright and he roared his defiance. His body twisted, weaved, and ducked, flames lashing out. Nearing the end he went nova. A gigantic gout of fire billowed out of his mouth, covering the rooftop, with a great roaring and hissing. Roselia and Stunky fell from the roof, screaming and writhing in pain as they burrowed into the snow to put out the flames consuming them. Beams of red light lashed out and took them back. Charmeleon panted for a moment and then was blasted in the back by a Water Pulse, falling next to Pikachu. He didn't get back up.

Ash cried out, turning from fallen team member to fallen team member.

"Well boy," Krieg crowed. "It would seem that this is over now. This was a futile effort, but I can see from your stance that you don't realize that. You should be thinking about how to recover your team so that you may have some hope of taking them to safety. And yet I can tell that you haven't given up on this battle." He started to walk forward. "I see I will have to teach you. As the great sage once said, 'Pain begets wisdom in those who would learn'. I hope you would learn child." He cracked his knuckles and started walking forward. "I would hate to waste this effort. But then again maybe I need to suffer the pain of fruitless work."

_Shut up! _Ash screamed. Abandoning thought he rushed forward, fists raised. He would-

Krieg slapped his attacks away and casually backhanded him. Ash fell sideways into the snow. He spit out a tooth, blood staining the snow, and jumped back up. He kicked out, like Brock had taugh-

The priest kicked the inside of Ash's leg and smashed his palm into the boy's forehead. Ash's head snapped back and he stumbled away. His vision went blank for a moment and he nearly fell again. He let out a yelp of pain and shook his head.

Krieg's fist impacted his abdomen. Ash's breath abandoned him. A blow to the head. A kick to the side. Hands grabbing the front of his jacket and throwing him. Snow and hard earth beneath him.

"Do you know why I do this?" Krieg asked, kicking at Ash's shoulder. "It is because humans must change or die. Those who fail to learn as their world crumbles around them only bring misery to creation. There is only mercy in killing them. It is no sin to avenge the lost sunflower."

"Murderer!" Ash shouted through the pain, grabbing at Krieg's foot.

Krieg tutted, crouched and punched Ash in the back. The child cried out in pain.

"It is not murder to kill the hopeless, as those without hope are dead." Krieg continued. "I was named after my own hopeless birth and see where my origin has returned me? Both me and this began so long ago. Tonight it is finally over. Everything has returned and all those involved will be free."

"You're not making sense," Ash gasped, trying to push himself up.

"Oh, I make perfect sense to the wise. Perhaps you need some more _wisdom_," Krieg grunted the last word as he kicked Ash.

Krieg was surgical. Krieg was precise. Krieg was painful. Krieg was through.

He didn't break any bones. He didn't do any permanent damage. He didn't spare any pain. He didn't give an opportunity to escape.

In the end Krieg left Ash lying in snow stained with spots of blood.

The priest looked out over the battlefield. His gaze covered the streaks of melted snow, the remains of attacks scattered about, and the prone and dying pokémon that made up Ash's team. He looked back down at Ash, who was trying to get up, eyes still determined.

"You still haven't learned. Physical pain obviously isn't working. Perhaps you will learn when you watch your team die." Krieg reached down and grabbed Ash once more. He looked the boy in the eye. "Then maybe you will gain some wisdom."

He threw the boy and Ash landed next to Pikachu and Charmeleon. Ash pushed himself up, eyes falling on the yellow pokémon and the fire type, both of whom lay prone in the snow.

_Pi-kachu, _Ash could barely say the words. _Charmeleon. I-_

He was interrupted by Krieg kicking him in the side.

"I wouldn't be speaking right now," the priest chided him. "You have other things to attend to."

_Don't- don't- Don't you touch him! _Pikachu pushed himself up, electricity sparking all around him. There was a crackled and a yelp of pain from the priest who was blasted off of his feet by a tendril of electric power.

Krieg's team didn't need instructions. Golbat dropped from the sky, driving Pikachu back into the ground. Nidoqueen and Tentacruel rushed to their trainer's side.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Krieg reassured them, getting back on his feet. "It would appear that his team had one more surprise left. But I think I'll let you hold the pikachu, Nidoqueen. You can break its neck in front of Aaron here."

Charmeleon looked up.

He was weak. He knew that. It didn't matter what Ash thought, or whether the boy cared about how strong he was. Charmeleon knew he was weak. If he had been strong he could have done something. If he had been strong he might have helped Damien to become a better person. If he had been strong he might have been able to make a difference in the Safari Zone. If he had been strong he might have been able to help Ash get to the top of that building in Saffron City quicker.

He needed to be stronger. Ash and his comrades were counting on it.

The fire type closed his eyes, looking deep within himself. He had felt that strength before. He could find it again.

Charmeleon began to glow with a white-orange light and it _hurt_.

What was strength? Was it the ability to hit hard like Primeape? Was it the ability to move like Pidgeotto? Was it the ability to use powerful special attacks like Pikachu? The ability to know when and where to hit like Bulbasaur? To take hits like Squirtle? Or was it the ability to survive like Magikarp? Charmeleon didn't know. Maybe it was the ability to withstand the pain he was feeling, to endure the waves of nausea and emptiness racking his body as he forced it to do something that it shouldn't be doing yet.

But Ash needed him to be strong, right here, right now, whatever strength meant. Charmeleon didn't care about the price. Charizard just knew that he needed to defeat the enemies in front of him.

His new wings flared outward, knocking the golbat off of Pikachu. Flames lashed out at Krieg, splashing of the chest of Nidoqueen who had moved to shield him. His claws tore into tentacruel, cutting into soft flesh.

"Stunky, Poison Sting!" Krieg shouted, throwing a pokéball. White light blazed and silver slivers flew into Charizard's back, sent by the badly burned, but still active stunky.

Charizard roared in fury, in triumph. He could barely feel the effects with his new body. It was less than a pinprick to him now.

"Nidoqueen, Body Slam and keep him down," Krieg continued. "Tentacruel Water Gun when you see an opening!"

Nidoqueen rushed the fire type and Charizard met her. Before she could jump up he began to grapple with her, stopping her from launching her attack. They locked eyes and Charizard smirked. He opened his mouth and engulfed the poison/ground type in a wave of fire.

"Stunky! Slash and then Toxic in the wound!" Krieg yelled. The poison type obeyed, pushing past her pain to leap up and tear into Charizard, right between the wings. Before it hit the ground Stunky managed to spray poison into the wound.

Charizard roared in pain, cutting off the flame engulfing Nidoqueen. A Water Gun drilled into his side, tearing away skin and costing him his balance. Nidoqueen took advantage of that to swing Charizard over her head and slam him into the ground. Before he could get back up, she used Body Slam.

A ring of snow rose around the pair and Charizard couldn't even scream.

"Such loyalty," Krieg proclaimed. "Your charizard was willing to force an early evolution and potentially cripple himself for you and his comrades. You're going to have to remember his loyalty for the rest of your life."

Pikachu, Charmander, friends in danger. Ash needed to do something, he needed to _move_.

Needed to get up. Needed to take another swing at the smug priest.

Just needed to marshal the strength, just needed to ride the swell of emotions inside of him.

"Now, I want you to watch this. Nidoqueen, would you please get ready to kill that fire type?" The priest's tone was casual and gloating as he approached the downed child. He gripped the back of Ash's black hair and pulled back so that he could look the boy in the eyes.

"This is the result...," the murderer's voice trailed off. Aaron's eyes were supposed to be amber.

Not glowing blue.

Ash moved, this time too fast for the priest to react. Krieg flew back, managing to land on his feet, sliding back on the wet ground. He barely got his balance back before Ash launched himself at Krieg. Human flesh slammed into flesh and Krieg was sent rolling back, finding his feet quicker this time.

More blows came, swift and unrelenting. Krieg floundered, trying to block them, constantly driven back. They were too close together for his team to intervene and the boy was too fast to simply disengage. Another hammering blow to his center and the priest was sent skidding back once more.

The boy was moving too fast for a child his age. The boy was too strong for a child his age. There were very few humans of that stature who should have that kind of strength, and none should have that kind of speed. It was an almost unheard of combination in a human opponent.

But there were more things than humans in the world. More things to encounter, to fight, and to learn from.

Krieg set up his stance in one instance, he began his move in the next, and then Ash reached him. The boy's fist was back to deliver a massive punch to the priest's head, eyes blazing blue as he came closer. His face was locked in a snarl of rage and he was screaming a war cry as he moved in.

His expression changed when he reached the priest. It became one of confusion and then a wince of pain. Ash's blow missed, Krieg had dropped down and driven an elbow in the child's ribs, using his foe's momentum against him, breaking several bones. Krieg grabbed Ash's ankles and flipped him back while he was still processing the pain. The boy managed to make a full rotation in mid air, coming down on his feet.

Just in time for Krieg's form perfect punch to break something else.

There was a reason trainers studied martial arts. To train themselves for personal combat while they also trained their pokémon for battle. The world could be a beautiful place, a kind place, a place of great joy. It could also be a dangerous place. For some, being a pokémon trainer meant seek out the dangerous places of the world. To seek challenges to grow stronger, to meet new pokémon, to find untamed wilderness, to fight in the domain of their enemies, to tame the lawless wastes, and to conquer the danger. Trainers would need every edge they could get to survive. Martial arts was just one such edge; learning how to use their bodies to a fuller potential, to hit harder, to dodge better, to learn how to withstand trauma better.

The priests of the shrine Krieg was raised at had taught him combat along with his pokémon as a form of meditation and a way for them to bond. They had pitted him against all sorts of opponents, human and non-human, alone and alongside his pokémon. That was why he could battle the boy who had suddenly quit fitting into any rational human definition.

He moved swiftly, denying Ash a chance to respond. He pounded on the boy's soft spots, pushing past the child's unnatural toughness. He dodged counter blows by hair's width, cautiously waiting for a chance to trap and damage the limbs. He focused on his awareness of their surroundings, hoping to move the fight to a spot where he could disengage and let his team take care of Aaron.

It was brutal. It was terrifying. But it was all under control.

The horrific sound of a bone being broken rang out as Ash finally made a mistake too big for his strange power to compensate for. Krieg was able avoid the blow, trap the limb, and then, without hesitation, rolled into a hold that allowed him to break the limb. Incredibly the boy started fighting harder. The illumination from his eyes flared, casting a blue glow all around. The priest was forced to let go of the limb.

There was a brief scream of anger and pain as Aaron tried to push himself up with both arms and discovered that he couldn't. Krieg continued to retreat. The intensity of the blue light began to fluctuate wildly as he pulled himself to his feet, the ground crumpling as he slammed one palm into it forcing himself up-

Only for the light to flicker and the body to stumble. It would appear that he hadn't avoided all of Krieg's traps. Yet, despite the poison coursing through his veins he stood again, leaping forwar-

Nidoqueen's tail slapped Aaron away before he could resume his assault. Snow flew and Ash shrieked in agony. Nidoqueen was on him again, punching him down repeatedly. Each blow should have been enough to keep a child of his age down, but Aaron kept trying to struggle up. Finally, after a great two handed blow from Nidoqueen, he stayed down.

"It would appear that you will not stay down. It would appear that you cannot become wise." Krieg announced, panting. "You must be put down permanently."

Aaron's eyes briefly met Krieg's; they were golden brown once more. Whatever strange power that had been exhibiting itself earlier was gone now. Krieg still didn't want to take the chance that it could reappear. He would kill the boy and then be on his way.

"I think I will crush your head," he announced, walking closer. "Nidoqueen, if you would do the honors?"

There was a rumbling that interrupted Nidoqueen pulling back to launch the punch. She and Krieg both paused to look towards the source of the noise.

Plaster dust billowed and bricks flew. Onix came rushing out of the broken wall, unstoppable as a tsunami. Nidoqueen and Krieg jumped back, re-positioning themselves to better withstand the attack, Nidoqueen bracing herself, stomping through the snow to rest her feet against the earth beneath, arms out to catch Onix's horn. Krieg trying to get a better view of where Onix had come from.

They needn't have bothered.

There was a sound like slapping a steak across a boulder. Nidoqueen grabbed the horn and stopped it from impaling her, sliding backward, heels carving up snow and earth. With a roar, Onix rammed into the nidoqueen and flipped his head back, sending the purple pokémon up into the air. Onix curled around himself, bringing his tail around into Nidoqueen. A ring of snow rose around the point of impact. Nidoqueen was smashed back into the ground like an errant meteorite, causing the ground to crumble into a crater.

"Tenta-" Krieg began, but something grey whizzed out of the hole in the mansion. Tentacruel spat out a strong jet of water on reflex; the grey shape twisted to avoid most of the attack, a small stony chunk falling away, and then grabbed the water type's beak in an iron grip. Geodude squeezed, cracks spreading across Tentacruel's beak while the water type's tentacles flailed.

Golbat swooped in to rescue his comrade. A small speedy mass slammed into him from behind and then assaulted his ears with a sonic attack. Golbat spun away from the attacker, forcing himself to recover, and prepared to retaliate against the newcomer Zubat.

Before he could do so a stream of fire engulfed one of his wings. Vulpix sat back on her haunches, looking pleased with herself from the edge of the battlefield.

"Stunky, Roselia, take down that fire type," Krieg shouted. "Golbat, help Tentacruel!"

The priest's command came too late for tentacruel. With a sickening wrench, Geodude yanked back and tore the beak off the water type. As the pokémon let out a silent scream, Geodude tossed the beak over his shoulder and then tackled his opponent to the ground. He began to pound, ignoring the feeble attempts to repel him.

Golbat tried to intervene, but Zubat rammed into his burnt wing and sank his teeth into the fried flesh. Golbat tumbled from the air.

A spiral of fire spun around Stunky and Roselia. Twin screams and then silence.

"Geodude," a voice rang out from the hole Onix had torn in the building. Krieg noticed something almost sparkle from the interior of the building; ice, ice that had no business being there. It must have been that trainer from Cerulean City. The blasted girl must have coated the hallways with ice to disarm his traps.

Before he could pursue the thought further the geodude was on him. The first blow from the stony fist broke his arm and then he couldn't keep track of any of the other blows.

* * *

><p>Ash was barely aware of the world. Darkness closed around the edges of his vision. Sounds seemed to come from the end of a long tunnel. He faintly heard the crackle of an ice beam and worried shouts. He saw a red blur and a black blur on top of weird shapes.<p>

"Aaron?" Ash thought that he recognized the voice.

_Misty?_

"He's speaking gibberish-" came the voice from the red blur, Misty Ash guessed.

"Aaron, listen to me," came a loud voice from the other blur. Brock Ash guessed. He could be a bit bossy like that. "I need you to stay awake. Did he poison you?"

Aaron slowly shook his head. He didn't remember getting hit with any poison attacks. But there was a lot he didn't remember in that last fight.

"Aaron," the voice was weird now. Like it was cracking, or hasty, or something weird. Ash idly wondered what was up with Brock. "Aaron, I need you to stay awake. Can you do that for me?"

Ash shrugged. He could give it a try. It wasn't like he was going to give in to the tired darkness within until he had checked up on his team.

"Aaron, it's important that you stay awake. Can you tell me where it hurts?"

It hurt everywhere, well it did. Things were weird now. Ash could still tell that it hurt, but it was further off. At the edge of his mind.

_Team? _He asked his most important question, but then remembered that his two human friends couldn't speak properly.

"Team?" Ash/Aaron repeated.

"Misty, go give his team antidotes!" Brock snapped.

"But-"

"I can handle him for now, you go tend to his team."

The red blur vanished.

"Team? Are they well?" Ash struggled to get the words out.

"They'll be fine," Brock answered. "Misty after you're done, get Pikachu over here if he's not-" there was movement Ash couldn't make out "-wounded anywhere that would make it a bad idea to move him."

Brock continued to question Aaron. Ash responded without caring.

The red blur returned and then there was a splotch of yellow. A warm weight was placed on his chest. Ash slowly raised his arm and gently laid a hand on Pikachu's back. He could feel it rise and fall.

Ash sighed in contentment. Ignoring the cries from both Brock and Misty the boy let himself slip away into darkness and warmth.

* * *

><p>Brock sat in the hallway, elbows on knees, face in hands. It wasn't a particularly remarkable hallway; if someone had seen one pokécenter human medical hallway, one has seen them all. Nor was there any interesting about the bench he was on.<p>

That might explain why Brock's mind was far away from the hallway in both time and space. Thinking of a rather unpleasant recent past and a dreaded future.

He didn't know if he had made a single correct call while they were locked in the mansion, before they had stabilized Aaron and the staff had brought back help. He had kept insisting on strong static defenses even when it had been clear that Krieg had been able to find ways around them.

But then again, he didn't know how much they had impeded the murderous priest. And there was no way of telling if Krieg could have done a better job of picking them off if they had taken a more dynamic approach. Or maybe the static defense would have worked better if he had been less accommodating to the Umagoya's demands.

But then again, he always preferred to take a defensive stance. Maybe not necessarily always static, but he always chose to rely on things such as endurance or toughness over guile or reflexes or speed. To let his opponents break on the power of his pokémon, whether they were charging through or standing firm. He was predictable and lacked adaptability. And how many people died because of it? How badly would Aaron have to pay for it?

And would he or Aaron even be alive if it wasn't for Misty? She was the one who suggested covering the floors that they had to cross with ice so that any traps or ambushes would be disabled or inconvenienced. Brock hadn't even considered the possibility while desperately searching for Aaron after they had confirmed that Chiyo was dead.

The young man from Pewter City sighed. It was a good thing he wasn't a gym leader anymore- no, if he had been a gym leader he would have had more resources and approached the problem from a different angle. He would have also been continuously improving on his skills.

He wouldn't have needed to rely on luck; not for the survival of his friend, nor for not being suspected of the murders of the Umagoyas. During the first couple hours talking to the authorities it was obvious that the police could see a different picture being painted by the evidence and circumstances then the one by the testimony of Brock and Misty. Thankfully there was enough medical evidence and Thomas's testimony to pin the blame squarely where it belonged.

It didn't matter now. The only thing that mattered was the news that he was dreading.

A door opened and Misty entered the hallway.

"The-" Brock swallowed, "What's the prognoses?"

Misty looked him in the eye and gave a small smile.

"He should make a full recovery," she answered, sliding down onto the bench next to him.

"And his team?"

"They should also make a full recovery, but Charm- Charizard might need some therapy."

Brock closed his eyes and let out the breath he was holding.

"That's good. That's very good."

"But," Misty continued, "it's going to take a couple of months. We'll probably have to winter here."

"That's fine," Brock replied. "I could use a break."

There was several more minutes of silence.

"Do they have any clue as to what Krieg's motivation was?" Brock asked.

Misty shook her head.

"No, not really," she answered. "Nothing concrete. It's just that genetic testing turned up something, well, interesting."

"What?"

"Evidently Krieg was an Umagoya," Misty answered.

Brock froze for an instant.

"I thought his parentage was unknown," Brock said, mainly to himself. He hadn't talked that much to the priest, just some light conversation during dinner after the awkward scene, but he had learned a couple of things. "That he was an orphan left at a shrine in the Saffron area."

Misty shrugged.

"I'm just relaying what the police found when they compared his DNA to entries in the database," she replied.

"Hmmm," Brock stared into empty space.

More silence.

"Do you think that he knew?" Misty asked.

"I'm actually wondering if _they _knew," Brock responded, still thinking.

A bastard spawned by the Unification War, raised near the greatest battlefield of that era, and becomes a priest and a trainer. He sets out into the wider world to find any hint of his family. Perhaps he had some sort of heirloom to guide? Or just stories? Maybe he relied on random genetic testing? Whatever the case he finds his way to the Umagoyas, he finds his family.

And they are crumbling. They are wasting away. Many are still trying to fight the war that they lost, championing their lost cause. So he aids them in the only way that he knows how; he starts trying to tend to their spiritual needs.

Things get worse. Everyone gets worse. The priest feels more and more stressed. His illusion and hopes that he once had of his family crumble away.

Maybe he holds on hope for the children, for the next generation, the generation that should survive while the older members die off. Or maybe he tries this for a generation or two and it doesn't work.

Finally it's down to Jena and Thomas. His last hopes for his family. For their recovery. For an end to his own pain. His last hope.

And then Jena dies. Thomas is possibly traumatized.

What hope does the priest have left? What fruit have his labors borne?

So he gives up. So he snaps. And people die.

It was mere speculation Brock knew. The truth was lost with the priest's death. But it was as likely a truth as they were going to get.

"It doesn't matter," Brock said, shaking his head.

It really didn't. All that was important now was that Aaron was safe.

Misty and Brock let the rest of the day die in silence.

* * *

><p>A boy named Thomas sat in his home, isolated from his new guardians by the pain of betrayal and memories of a muk. The possibility of recovery was questionable.<p>

A family graveyard became even fuller. There would be few visitors and all the ties the occupants had would fade into the past never to be revisited.

A purple blob of a pokémon mournfully approached a fast moving stream. It jumped in and was no more.

* * *

><p>Ash lay in his hospitable bed feeling better than he had in weeks. Oh his ribs gave a small twinge of pain with each breath, his arm started to itch in his cast, and a host of other small things bothered him, but it was irrelevant.<p>

He had spoken properly in front of Krieg and the man hadn't figured it out. He may have suspected, but the murderous priest couldn't tell that he was pokéraised. Ash's secret wasn't so easily revealed.

Maybe he could relax a little. Let pain and the knowledge that he had narrowly avoided death keep his nightmares away. His team would, all his friends were safe.

In the end everything was right enough in the world.

* * *

><p>AN: This is either average for me or bad for me. I really cannot tell.<p>

Oh well, this arc will be over after the next chapter. I can't wait for it to be done, but, while it has had its problem, I'm glad I did this arc. I learned a couple of things, including my limits, and will be putting those lessons to use later. But I doubt I'll do an arc like this again.

Anyway, the goals of this arc were threefold: Do some world building regarding the Great War and Team Rocket, kill off Jessibelle, the last link James would have to his past, and get Ash to hole up somewhere for the winter. Secondary goals included: having Ash get out of his funk a little bit, show that he's not the top dog, have a ten year old nearly beaten to death, do some stuff with Brock and Misty, reveal some of Jame's past, and to get out an original arc. Mostly accomplished.

(Ha and if you think Jame's past is over the top, check out some modern day, real world 'troubled' teen camps, gay conversion camps, and related facilities. Shit's messed up.)

Anyway, leave a review. Tell me what worked. Tell me what didn't work. Tell me why my awful writing has destroyed your faith in the world and how it caused you to long for the complete destruction of all things.

EDIT: Added that section right before the end to expand on Krieg's motivations. I had tried to hint at them in his dialogue, but I don't think I succeeded initially. Hopefully this clears some things up.

:AN


	38. Chapter 38

AN: I do not own pokemon

Also made an addition to the last chapter to explain Krieg's motivations better. I tried to hint at them in his dialogue, but I'm pretty sure that I screwed that up. So look near the end of the chapter for a new scene.

:AN

* * *

><p><em>I still say that you should have let me sacrifice myself.<em>

It was a bright and sunny day at the foot of mountains. Under the white capped peaks, small traces of snow adorned the slops, lessening as each spring day arrived. An amber eyed boy and his team of seven pokémon sat on a grassy gentle hill, enjoying the fresh air and the sunlight. A gentle breeze whispered through the grass, causing the tall patches to wave and the short stretches to ripple.

The boy was dressed in a hospital gown and a pair of jeans. He and his pokémon were sitting in a circle.

_Magikarp, _Primeape replied, _you were out cold. There was no way for ya to sacrifice yourself to stop da crazy priest. _

_Then you should have sacrificed me to get away, _Magikarp said from beside Primeape. _It's the same thing really. _

_How would that have even worked? _Pidgeotto asked. _Should we have just thrown you at him? Or offered him a tasty fish dinner?_

_Whatever would have worked,_ Magikarp answered.

_There was nothing he wanted from you,_ Bulbasaur interjected. _There just wasn't a way to sacrifice you and get us out of here. _

_You mean I had to go through a _near_ death experience for nothing? _Magikarp moaned. _Why do I always survive?_

_Magikarp, shut up, _Pikachu snapped.

_No, _Magikarp snapped back, flopping over to give Pikachu an angry look. _We just through yet another very dangerous experience that I unfortunately survived and- _

_Magikarp, _Pikachu glared at the water type, _there are electric therapies out there that can greatly increase a_ _pokémon's lifespan._ _If you don't shut up I'm going to start practicing them on you. _

_You wouldn't dare- _

_Try me, _Pikachu said, cheeks sparking.

_Can you guys quit fighting for a bit and just relax?, _Ash asked, staring up at the brilliantly blue sky. _We're going to start training again soon and we don't want to overdo it. _

Charizard shifted around uncomfortably, not meeting the random gazes of the group.

_Yes, we shouldn't overdo the training that we're sneaking out of the pokémon center to do_, Pikachu said, rolling his eyes._ It's not like some of us, like some certain bipedal members of our group, should still be taking it easy back in the medical center. _

_Yep, _Primeape said, eyes closed, smiling and nodding. _It's good dat none of us are like dat. _

One of Pikachu's ears twitched.

_I think he was trying to say that Ash should be back at the center with the doctors, _Squirtle explained.

_No, he said dat no one- oh that was sarcasm, ain't it, _Primeape realized.

_Yes, _Pikachu nodded, one eye twitching, cheeks sparking. _It was. _

_Calm down Pikachu, _Ash said, rubbing the pokémon's head. _I'm fine. _

Pikachu turned his glare onto his trainer.

_You and Charizard are both still in therapy, _he said.

_And I'm basically done, _Ash replied.

_No, they think you're basically done, but they want to do some final checkups, _Pikachu corrected. _And if there was something for them to catch on those final checkups, coming out here to train could be making it much worse. _

_But I feel perfectly fine, _Ash sprung to his feet and held out his arms. _See?_

_No, you think you feel perfectly fine, _Pikachu jumped to his own feet, still glaring. _There's a difference._

_Well, it's my body an there's nothing you can do to stop me from coming out here and-_

"Aaron! How many times do we have to tell you to stay in your room!" Ash winced when he heard the voice of his doctor, a brunette woman, shouting from a distance that was not far enough away for his comfort.

_I might have run back and messed up the pillow dummy you left behind, _Pikachu admitted with a smirk.

_I will have my revenge on you, _Ash whispered out of the side of his mouth, as his doctor approached.

* * *

><p>"And one more set," the doctor said, looking at some charts.<p>

Ash complied without complaining. He didn't want her to launch into another tirade, like the one she had hit him with after discovering that he had snuck out.

Again.

"Well Mr. Autumns, it would appear that you're pretty much done here," she informed her patient. "Despite your problems with... shall we say focus, your recovery has proceeded smoothly and you should be out of here within the week. "

Ash grinned.

"Of course you will have more checkups, starting six months from now, to make sure that there are no long term issues."

Ash quit grinning.

The doctor rolled her eyes.

"Don't worry," she reassured him. "When you stop at a pokémon center in around six months just give them your name and trainer information and they'll take care of you. It won't take more than a day."

Ash nodded.

"You can talk you know," the doctor said with a grin. "I don't bite."

"Yeah, but well..." Ash, rubbed the back of his head. He didn't know the tactful way of explaining that she scared him and he didn't wish to invoke her temper.

"Hey, the exercise needs both hands," the doctor chided.

Ash immediately complied.

"Wait," he said as he finished the set. "I thought you said I was done. With the recovery."

"I think you can keep doing exercises," the doctor rolled her eyes again. "With the way you keep sneaking out, you can't be worried about straining yourself."

Ash grinned sheepishly. She had a point.

After he finished his session, Ash went to go check on Charizard's therapy session.

Pokémon therapy was held in a different section of the center, in the pokémon wing. Most pokémon centers didn't have sections devoted to long term recovery for humans; in fact most didn't have long term recovery facilities for pokémon either. That was because most pokémon centers were primarily meant as hostels that offered basic medical services and military outposts in times of crisis.

Ash and his team had originally been taken to a different pokémon center deep in the mountains with much more limited resources. If it hadn't been for the antidotes that Misty and Brock had administered on site, it would have been likely that several members of Ash's team would not have made it. As it was, the staff at the first center had worked themselves to the bone to make sure that the boy and his team would make it. It was only after they were stabilized that they were moved to the foothills pokémon center.

Bulbasaur had been the best off (after Magikarp who had just been knocked out), just needing some rest after the initial antidote. Primeape had needed more doses of the antidote but other than he had been fine. Squirtle had needed stitches, along with the antidote, Pidgeotto had needed grafts for the acid burns, and Pikachu had need surgery to deal with some internal bleeding.

It was Charizard who had needed the most help.

The dragon-like pokémon had more poison in his system than anyone else. He had multiple internal injuries on top of that, a deep slash between his wings- and then there was the big problem; the medical staff had to deal with all those issues while dealing the problems with his forced evolution. And there were a lot of problems with said evolution.

His cardiovascular system had barely finished adjusting to his charmeleon body when he had forced himself to take a new form that had more muscle, more mass, and new appendages in the form of wings. His nervous system had to go through another set of adjustments to his new form, screwing with his kinesthesis, and causing random twitches. His digestive system had to adjust to the new calorie requirements and the mass of food that had to be ingested. His new muscles were underdeveloped and strained. Once the rush from evolving had worn off, all those stresses began to take their toll on him.

The doctors had been very carefully monitoring his diet and giving him supplements via IV. He had been going physical therapy for his wings and been given various medical drugs to help is cardiovascular system adjust. He had been undergoing other exercises to help his balance and they had been monitoring the state of his central nervous system to make sure that it was adjusting.

"And one and two and one and two," the therapist counted off as Charizard slowly moved his wings through the exercise. His movements were precise, slow, and evidently tiring from the light sheen of sweet on the pokémon's forehead. Ash didn't really see what was so tiring about the exercises, even with the small weights, and ordinarily that would be a concern, but it was still a massive improvement over how things used to be.

When they had first arrived Charizard could barely make his wings twitch. They had hung limp from his back, pitiful and useless. It had taken a lot of sweat, tears, hard work, and some pain to get them to the point where they could be fully extended. The dragon-like pokémon still couldn't fly, but at least he was getting there.

"And that's it for now," the therapist said. "And your trainer's already here for you. I'll let him take you from here." The man turned to Ash. "Though I'd appreciate it if you used a pokéball. The hallways aren't really a good place for him to walk around."

"Sure thing," Ash replied, turning to his pokémon who nodded. Red light flashed and sucked up the fire type.

He quickly walked through the center and found an exit. Ash went outside and released his pokémon. The two of them glance around to make sure that there was no one nearby.

_So how was it? _Ash inquired.

_It was the same as always, _Charizard answered, not meeting Ash's amber eyes.

_So, nothing's changed? _

_Not really. _Charizard continued to avoid Ash's eye.

_From what I've seen you've been improving, _Ash continued.

_A little, _the fire type answered.

_Come on, _Ash cajoled, _I want to compare notes. You know that they've got me in therapy too. I want to know what weird stuff the humans are making you do too? _

_It's not that weird, _Charizard snorted. _ You think everything your species does is weird. _

_No I don't. _

_Almost every time we go into a city you find something that your species does that you think is weird, _Charizard pointed out. _And when you stop back by Pallet and get a chance to talk to Poison Lance I'm sure he'll be able to tell us about more things that you found weird. _

_Well... _Ash rubbed the back of his head. Charizard might have a small point. But just because he had found things like dress shoes, tooth brushes, microwaves, recliners, perfumes, scissors, pens, patios, hair ties, sliced bread, DVDs, laptop computers, bubble wrap, aglets, tote bags, frisbees, door latches, metal currency, tree-houses, laser pointers, sweat pants, apartments, bowling, line dancing, rocking chairs...

Alright maybe Charizard had a point.

_Not really relevant, _Ash said, changing the subject.

Charizard smirked for a brief moment, something Ash hadn't seen in a while, but it quickly vanished when Ash met his eye and gave him a half grin in return.

_You okay? _Ash asked. _You've been... quiet lately. _

_There hasn't been much to talk about, _Charizard replied.

_You mean much time to talk, _Ash corrected. The boy and his team had only brief visits with each other during the beginning of their recovery, brief supervised visits, owing to the fact that several of the participants couldn't walk. And then many of them had been busy with their individual recoveries.

_It's been nothing but boring exercises, _Charizard said. _Same as with you. I just don't want to talk about it. I'd like to go back to my bed and sleep._

_Alright, _Ash said, bringing the pokéball back out. Red light flashed and the conversation was over.

* * *

><p>"You really should call your parents," Brock said.<p>

Ash shot him that communicated his level of unamusement.

The three of them were sitting the center cafeteria, sipping on drinks and picking at the last bits of their lunches.

"If you haven't called them since before... this winter, they'll probably be worried sick," Brock continued.

"They might decide to hunt you down and drag you home," Misty added.

"I've sent them a message," Aaron replied in a surly manner, crossing his arms. "Told them I was fine."

"Lied to them you mean," Brock said, looking the younger boy in the eye.

"Not really," Ash replied. "I'm fine now."

"Trying not to worry them?" Misty asked.

Ash briefly thought about Poison Lance's potential reactions. While the old pokémon knew the risks of a trainer's journey better than anyone, and certainly wouldn't try and stop Ash from continuing, he would... well, Ash thought that Krieg being already dead was a blessing for the murderous priest.

"Pretty much," Ash lied.

"I can get that," Misty nodded. "So what are you planning to do today?"

"Haven't you finished all the books in the center?" Brock inquired.

"I've been getting books from the town library," Ash answered. "The center has a reservation system set up with them."

"So what you on now?" Misty asked before taking another sip of her drink.

"Some- uh, fantasy history?" Ash tried to guess the name of the genre.

"Historical fiction," Brock corrected. "What time period?"

"Feudal western," Ash answered, remembering the words from the summary. "It's about some clash between two- neighbors that are on the edge of their- what's the word for things like shared traditions, beliefs, and stuff?"

"Culture," Brock answered.

"Yeah, two neighboring countries on the edges of their culture groups and the clashes they have because of it," Ash said. "It's pretty interesting."

"Yeah, well, speaking of history I'm heading down to the ruins to visit the archaeological dig," Misty said. "Evidently they're discovering some carving and architecture that's only been seen before in the Mirage Kingdom in Hoenn."

"That sounds interesting," Brock commented finishing off his last bit of rice. "I might tag along."

"Maybe I should come," Ash mused.

Misty shook her head.

"The only access is by foot and you shouldn't be straining yourself yet," she explained. "Maybe next week."

"I'm ready now," Ash said, crossing his arms and sitting back.

"Not even close," Brock snorted.

"The ruins will still be here next week," Misty reassured the boy. "Don't worry about it."

* * *

><p><em>So my human so-called friends taunt me with something interesting to do and then they abandon me here, <em>Ash moaned from his bed, book lying open and temporarily forgotten.

_Well they were right, _Pikachu said, perched on top of the chair for visitors and staring out the window. _If it's only reachable by foot-_

_Not you too, _Ash rolled over and moaned. _Seriously, I'm feeling better now._

_We've been over this, _Pikachu turned to his trainer. _And you should listen to them more. _

_You're getting as over protective as them, _Ash complained. _Seriously. And weren't you against them coming in the first place? _

_No, I was the one for them coming along, _Pikachu corrected. _You get in too much trouble to be without them. _

_Yeah, but we always get out of it, _Ash grinned.

_No we don't, _Pikachu glared at his trainer. _We barely got away from that last one. _

_Yeah, but we shouldn't run -_

_You always say that and you're never right! _Pikachu snapped. _We keep running into situations like that and we're not strong enough to keep protecting you!_

_Wha-_

_Bulbasuar won't say anything, but I know he's feeling bothered, Squirtle's been feeling down lately but he won't show it but I've seen him when he thinks no one is around, Primeape and Pidgeotto keep talking about what they could have done better, Magikarp- is Magikarp, and Charizard's been bothered and you know it too._

Ash opened his mouth to reply, but couldn't think of anything to say.

_And __I know you're not going to stop your journey but can you at least quit making things needlessly dangerous, _Pikachu sighed. _Please._

_I- I've never really tried to do anything to make it more dangerous, _Ash replied. _I know chasing after Krieg was stupid, but it was only a heat of the moment thing. Every other time I've tried to do the right thing, but not in a stupid way. I-I've never thought that any of you were lacking in any way. I know that something's been bothering Charizard but he's not telling me. _

_Something's always been up with him, _Pikachu grimaced a little. _I'm glad we got him away from his old trainer and that's he's with us... but that jerk reeeaally messed him up. _

_Well, a little, but I thought that he's been past it, _Ash admitted. _Especially after he evolved. The first time that is. Honestly I thought his current funk was because he couldn't fly yet. _

_Butterfree, Pidgeotto, and now Charizard. _Pikachu shook his head. _It seems like most of us are reaching for the skies. I'm almost starting to get envious of those winged jerks. You know, you can fix that by finding me those hooved flying types and a chariot... _

_I still don't know what goes through your head, _Ash grinned a little.

_Pure, concentrated awesome, _Pikachu answered. _And a lot of power. _

The electric type's face grew serious once more.

_Ash. I know you've been thinking about this and I don't know why you've been flip-flopping on this, but you might want to tell Misty and Brock your secret, _Pikachu told Ash.

_No, _Ash shook his head. _I'm not going to. _

_Why? Why not? _Pikachu pleaded. _Why don't you want to tell them? _

Ash had numerous reasons. Even if his secret was more secure than he had first thought, he still didn't want to let his secret get out and endanger the team and his friends. He didn't want Misty and Brock to get more overprotective. He didn't want things to change between him and his human friends, maybe for the better, but possibly for the worse.

And he didn't want them to know that he hadn't trusted them. Ash didn't want to admit that to his two close friends of his species, the first he had made in a long while.

He didn't want to see their faces when they learned that.

Maybe he was running away, playing it safe, but that was what people kept telling him to do anyway.

_It's just not time yet,_ Ash finally answered. _And it's safer if I don't. They can't let slip what they don't know. _

Pikachu jumped off the chair, scampered over to his trainer, and jumped onto his shoulder. He put on paw on the side of his trainer's head.

_Are you sure, _he asked the human. _They could be a great help. And you wouldn't have to hide around them anymore. _

_I'm sure, _Ash replied after taking a breath.

_Alright, _Pikachu sighed. _If you're sure I'll drop it. _

_Good, _Ash smiled. _And while they are my friends, I don't agree with them on a lot of things. I think we should gather up the team and show them that I can reach places on foot by going into town for the good food._

* * *

><p>"Huh."<p>

Misty and Brock stood before excavated cave, the entrance framed by the rocky brown foothills and the small boulders scattered about. Behind them were the tents where the archaeological team was staying, with fabric occasionally flapping in the breeze. In front of them was the start of the dig with the flags, ropes, and stakes that marked the various finds. The two trainers could see a crumbling column of an odd design and people examining it. Others were coming to and from the entrance, some carrying bits of pottery and other items, some talking excitedly, gesturing and writing on clipboards.

One of these people, a woman with blue-purple hair dressed in an outdoor khaki uniform, noticed the two trainers approaching and got up. She walked over to them and offered her hand.

"Hello, I'm Eve," she introduced herself. "You must be Misty. And this is?"

"This is Brock," Misty explained. "I'm sorry I didn't register him ahead of time, but I hoped only one addition-"

"It's alright," Eve reassured the gym trainer with a smile. "No one else is coming today. We've got plenty of room."

She led them into the ruins.

"Has your friend done any of the reading?" Eve asked Misty.

"Brock?"

"No, sorry," Brock shrugged. "Coming was a bit of spur of the moment thing."

"Well, then I guess I can give you the cliff notes version." Eve began to lead them into the cave. "We've found a partially buried city state. It was originally built in a natural hollow, but was abandoned after there was a rock slide and cave in combination that buried much of the city. The cave was sealed up soon after and more rock slides obscured the entrance."

They continued into the cave and the two trainers could see evidence of more structures within.

"Recently some of the locals from the town were looking for rock type pokémon in the area and during a battle with one, managed to reopen the entrance-"

"Let me guess, a graveler used Self-Destruct," Brock muttered.

"I think that was the case," Eve confirmed. "But in any case, the entrance was dislodged and the locals stumbled across the beginnings of the city. Word got out about the discovery and the Allied Regions Archaeological Society set up this dig."

As they came further in, they came across another, more intact, column. It was somewhat unusual. The easiest way to describe it was to say it was a stack of eggs with the rounded tops and bottoms cut flat off. As designs went it wasn't too outlandish, but not one's typical ancient ruin. Said column was also covered in vertical stripes of patterns, carvings, and hieroglyphs.

"This was one of the first things that caught our interest," Eve told them after noticing their gaze. "While there are many civilizations who used that column design, there was only one that used those carvings."

"The Mirage Kingdom," Misty stated.

"You've done the reading," Eve smiled. "Yes. And further in the cave we found the 'Egg Towers' that are used in the palace of the Mirage Kingdom and several other places in the city state."

"Egg Towers?" Brock asked.

"It's probably easier to show you." Eve said, leading them further on.

They came into a larger cavern and Brock got his answer. There was a structure shaped like the upper three quarters of an egg, with a circle of small openings near the top Sections of the once smooth exterior were corroded, roughened, and crumbling to the point where one could see the floors once behind the walls.

"It's not quite the same as the modern architecture of the Mirage Kingdom," Eve explained. "They've renovated several times and rebuilt sections of their city with more modern materials and have added more window sections. But the basic structure is the same. And despite their isolationist tendencies, the Mirage Kingdom has always been forthcoming with their historical data."

"But isn't the Mirage Kingdom in Hoenn?" Brock asked. "And a rather small state, with no records of an empire?"

"Yes, and that's what's so interesting," Eve said nodding. "We've got information on the Mirage Kingdom going back further than we've been able to date this site and there's nothing to indicate any expansionist periods. We have no idea why there's another city state that shows evidence of a pre-Acorn Age Mirage Kingdom culture."

"Acorn, acorn age," Brock muttered to himself, trying to remember what that term referred to. It took him a few seconds to recall it. Acorn Age referring to the age of civilizations after humanity had discovered how to use acorns (or Apricorns as they were sometimes called) to capture pokémon, by using them to construct the first primitive pokéballs, and spread the invention.

"We've successfully excavated several of the adjacent caverns, "Eve continued to explain. "And we've been requesting a scholar from the Mirage Kingdom, but they might not want to send anyone down. In any case it's been an exciting find."

She turned back to them.

"So what do you guys want to have a look at?"

Misty and Brock glanced at each other and shrugged.

"Let's see what you're currently working on," Misty answered.

Eve led them to the main cavern. Inside lay several more crumbling towers and buildings, surrounded by more rope and more flags, with scaffolding everywhere. Bits of sunlight shone in from a cave ceiling puckered with holes, and braced by yet more scaffolding. Rocks of various sizes, from pebbles to boulders, were scattered all over the subterranean city.

The archaeologist led them to the largest building, in the center of the city.

"If this place follows the same layout as the Mirage Kingdom then this should be the temple-palace, where the priests and the royal family lived," Eve explained. "We've been clearing away the rubble and were just about to begin trying to enter today."

"What obstacles are you expecting to run into?" Brock asked.

"Well, this dates before the first Split in this hemisphere, so we think that they might be using some psychic residue that they used as a primitive guarding curse," Eve said as she started to examine the door. "We'll be bringing up a couple of abras to take a look. They might also be using primitive battery defenses so we'll be bringing up some ground types."

"Didn't know that archaeology could be so dangerous," Brock said, taking a closer look at the door. It was covered with runes, carvings, hieroglyphs, and had an odd looking wheel with spokes in the center. There were grooves running vertically that passed over several of the designs. Brock noted that those lower designs were the only ones that were colored.

"Ancient cultures could be pretty ingenious," Eve also began to look at the door. "I think we'll give a crack at opening this without having to break in. There might be a puzzle, or a code, or a password on here."

Misty also began to examine the door.

"Let's see," Eve looked at the top carvings. "Let the life- uh run, let the light - or is it kindness?- know, let the -pattern, sequence, life order, universe story- be told? We need a more complete translation."

Misty took a look at the grooves. When they reached the middle of the door they branched out and began to spread around more symbols further down. Just from eyeballing it, it was almost like...

"Do you know the Mirage Kingdom creation myth?" Misty asked, deciding to work her hunch.

"Well the short version is that their ancient myth believed that divinity was originally wrapped in an egg, and then it hatched, starting the universe. The shards of the divine egg were made into the world. People and pokémon rose from the leftover yolk. Mirage Kingdom found a living fragment of the shell and they must venerate it." Eve answered. "Why?"

"Because I have an idea," Misty replied, grabbing a pokéball. "Do you mind if I try something?"

"Depends. Does it seem likely that you'll damage the door?" Eve asked in return.

"Hopefully not. Go Starmie!" White light blazed and the purple star pokémon came out. "Starmie, can I get a gentle Water Gun at the top of that groove, one over from the last on the left."

Starmie complied and a gentle stream of water splattered over the top of the door. It began to flow down the groove. When it hit the midway point and the groove branched out, the water began to flow over the colored designs. The water became discolored and then continued to flow downward until it disappeared into some colored grates at the bottom.

There was a groaning sound and then a creaking as the city woke up for the first time in over a thousand years. The wheel began to spin and the door began to slowly slide open, dust of the ages billowing off it as it did so. Minor tremors flowed beneath their feet and gears groaned as the door slid.

Before the could open fully, there was a loud grinding sound and the door slid to a halt, leaving an opening just wide enough to admit a person.

"Good call," Eve remarked, moving towards the opening. "I take it the word 'run' was key?"

"Run is close enough to flow," Misty shrugged. "And then there were the grooves. It was worth a try."

"And it worked, even after all these years," Eve knelt to examine the door. "If I had to guess, I'd say it is some sort of primitive battery-operated mechanism, using saltwater as a switch. I wonder if the other grooves activate other mechanism. They can't be there for security, not with them out in the open like this. People would have seen how to open the doors each time they were opened."

"I don't really know," Brock said, also shrugging. "Do you want to take a look inside?"

Misty recalled her pokémon and the three humans entered the building. They came into a dark hallway, covered in the dust of the ages, and the small lives that spread without maintenance. Just a ways down the hallway split into three sections. Two ways led to stairways and the center way led into a large chamber, which the three decided to look into first.

It was obviously a place of worship; the walls were covered in murals, degraded and obscured by age, leaving nothing but steaks and blurbs of color from floor to the ceiling far above. There was a brown stone ziggurat dais in the center of the room, and in the center of that there was a brown stone podium, and in the center of that there was a brown stone basin. A single stream of light came in through the hole in the ceiling falling next to the podium; in ancient times, before the city was buried, the dais was probably illuminated for most of the day.

Misty saw a bit of color in the basin, a small flash of white. Brock and Eve began to examine the murals; Misty approached the basin, curious as to what she saw.

She stepped up the dais and looked within. There was simply an egg; a white egg speckled with hollow triangles of dull red and blue. Misty reached for it and ran one finger of it, taking off a layer of dust and revealing brighter colors beneath.

It was still warm. Misty put her hand on the egg. She could definitely feel it.

The egg was still alive.

"Hey, guys, take a look at this," Misty shouted, hand still on the egg. Brock and Eve headed over.

"An egg?" Brock tilted his head, examining it. "How could there still be an egg?"

"Put your hand on it. It's warm," Misty told them. "I think it's still alive."

"Some species can do that," Eve remarked, as she and Brock put their hands on the egg. "Lay an egg that lies dormant for centuries or even millennium. The question is, did the people of this place put that there or was it simply a wild pokémon? Can either of you identify the type of egg?"

"No, sorry," Misty said, lifting up the egg to examine it more.

There was a loud rumbling the moment the egg left the basin. Dust fell from the ceiling, the ground shook, and there was a loud roar that echoed through the city. The three of them grabbed onto the podium to keep their balance, Misty clutching the egg to her chest.

"I know he's not here," Brock shouted over the din, "but somehow I still blame Aaron for all this."

* * *

><p>AN: At this point some of you will have memories of reading a new chapter of Symbiosis, one that was released in the same month as the last chapter. This is obviously a delusion as ConstructiveWriter is not only a a lazy slob, a victim of writer's block, a hack of a writer, but also someone who takes several months to write a chapter, no matter how short. There is no possible way for a new chapter to have been released Therefore all people suffering from this ailment should go see a medical professional.<p>

On to other matters. I'm so glad that the previous arc is over. I'm glad I accomplished my goals of worldbuilding, killing off James's last link to his past, and beating up Ash, but it had a shit tone of issues, was difficult to write, and was holding up the rest of the story. And I really want to get to the Orange Islands and Johto. I have some great ideas coming up.

(I'll probably mess those up, but hey, crashing in flames can be fun)

I know I fudged some type mechanics in the last chapter, but for once it was deliberate. (Besides, poison attacks can still hurt poison types, even if they don't inflict the ailment, and Krieg didn't necessarily use a bog standard pokemon poison)

(And I finally found my notes on some of my decisions from the Saffron arc. Some of the mechanic fudging there was deliberate, to show how good of a trainer Agatha was. The rest was me getting confused about some of the messed up Gen I mechanics)

I'd like to thank Magnive for beta reading and you really wouldn't believe the amount of work my beta readers do for me.

Anyway leave a review giving me some criticism. Tell me what I did right, what I did wrong, and how my writing has forever ruined not only pokemon, but has ruined all fiction, for all time, for you.

:AN


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